Written by By Erin Corbett and Jamie Lindstrom, CNN
An art show devoted to shopping and waste explores the intersection of fashion, eco-culture and marketable byproducts.
art show to play out in four separate one-day installations in Tokyo, Milan and Hong Kong
two artworks devoted to how we shop and dispose of these goods
“Identity is how we construct the layers of who we are,” writes curator Kari Klevens of ” buy nothing .” “The one positive thing about shopping is it creates our identity, but it still creates the other things that we need.”
More than 2,000 artworks — from comic books to book covers — will be displayed in four different installations at different locations throughout Asia. Over 300 kilos of laundry detergent (nearly 500 gallons) will be dumped into an emptied laundry-dryer load from home, the World of Buy Nothing washes, cleans and files away the junk of luxury fashion.
An artist’s book will also accompany the exhibition’s opening. The book captures the artworks in black and white — revealing their nature and environment as entertainment, while preserving their significance as art.
Other pieces in the exhibition include one entitled “The Weight of the Industry,” that shows a comic book character tackling a cycle of poverty. The display asks viewers, to struggle with problems like low wages, high demand and ever-changing legislation.
“Buy Nothing” presents itself as a search for alternatives to certain popular brands that are branded as luxury. In reality, the artworks argue that we shouldn’t conflate design ideals with harmful environmental practices.
