September 30, 2016 |
Hussein Chalayan is like a mad scientist. And he’s been in his lab, creating the future. An army of Chalayans, genetically engineered humans. Their clothing emblematic of their station in life, each with their own program. The Chalayan machine includes projectors, belted around waists, a complete audio visual experience that tracks the heart rate, respiration and brain waves. Chalayan is always watching. Images projected on a white wall, the beginning of a new sequence. These modifications wear sunglasses, like goggles. Their clothing oversized and loose, creating a new form, discarding the notion of typical gender forms. There was a uniformity in the silhouettes. They wore cotton shirts, almost 2d form like, strings embroidered flailed in the atmosphere, suspended. There was an imminence of danger in this digital air. Omnipresent, their eerie presence is everywhere. They are devoid of emotion, stiff upper lips. It is through their clothes that they communicate their identity, their individuality. Through the motions, they evolve, a silk fluidity as they prowl and florals a sign of bloom and new life. Is there new life in this world? Halsey’s lyrics to ‘Control’ come to mind: “You can’t wake up, this is not a dream. You’re part of a machine, you are not a human being.” There’s no escape.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
