AREEJ KAOUD

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Once disconnected from the human body, a hair in a singular format becomes isolated in a state that is simultaneously neither fully being nor object, causing it to not be treated as a real entity. Although its sense of belonging to a human body decreases its aspect of approachability, its natural acquiring of independence from the body brings it closer to the state of an object withholding itself in space, thus heightening this element’s shape, durability and social value. My interest became invested in regaining this element its value through science, collection, geometry and durability. Scientifically a lock of hair can withstand 12 tons of weight, its diameter varies from 17 to 120 micrometers, its natural character is dictated by the shape of the follicle pushing it outward into the world, retaining inertia after its disconnection from the human body causing it to react to the weather as per normal and most importantly its loss of all that social character when detached from the belonging body. Hair collection is an exercise allowing me to re-establish the value of hair as an object via multiplicity, thus gaining it a power of presence and naturally reclaiming its space as a being that exists in our everyday. By applying geometry to this organic material and presenting it as a sculpture, photocopying it endlessly covering a huge wall of it and silkscreening life-size bodies of hair are attempts to point at how this element is equal in value to other objects but its human value makes it capable of overtaking our space. Via science I am testing its resistance to weather conditions and being shaped geometrically, also its incredible strength against industrial materials such as brick stones. The interesting element is the failure of this element to be fully object, it remains connected to its social factor even as a dead cell. Its residual quality forcefully establishes its belonging to a human body rooting one in an origin and a set of rituals applied to hair. I attempt to make this element something, but also acknowledge in the work its treatment as nothing.

 

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