The project delved into the nexus of violence and beautification, examining the intricate interplay between surface aesthetics and the underlying systems that facilitate their creation. My project delves into the contrasting relationship between the glamorous surfaces and the toxic surfaces that operate behind the scenes on different scales: the hand of the laborer absorbing degradation to enhance others’ beauty, the hazardous waste stemming from product manufacturing and interstate transportation, and the global testing of animals for cosmetic advancements.
In response, the intervention is a form of performance where individuals clad in hazmat suits—personal protective gear serving as a shield against external contaminants—travel to nail salons in a mobile vehicle to purify the contamination sites. Here, I define the surface of the suited individuals’ bodies as an architectural element that redeploys the surface between the consumer and the laborer. Although the detoxification process remains imperceptible at the macroscopic level, a performative architectural intervention illuminates it, rendering molecular-level purification visible and highlighting these extraction sites.
