Nothingness 2011

hair strands and water tape

2 x 2.6 m

Installation art

Areej Kaoud

Image courtesy to the artist

This artwork is meant to be invisible in the exhibition space. The probability of walking into it was very high during exhibition. This architectural project acknowledges the material's treatment as a non-real object, creating a large installation highlighting its delicateness. Strands of collected hair were knotted together to make long lines of hair which were installed in 40 rows in a crossing design from ceiling to floor. The placement of the rows was based on a geometrical grid allowing the hairs to be viewed with such precision, and insuring their being held in place while reacting to the weather. The exhibition area had many windows allowing the material's reaction to the weather to have a role in its representation, and as humidity dropped the whole delicate installation became taught and reflected a glow of the hair colour. When humidity rose, the installation became frizzy and imperfect, confirming its being as a residue once connected to a human head.