Fashion-performance “Exhibit” is a long-term actionist project of Weld Queen, consisting of a series of periodic art interventions in various art institutions.
Within the framework of the “Exhibit” project, Weld Queen in specially tailored welding suits, made of professional welding materials (felted leather and fireproof tarpaulin), attends modern art exhibitions, naturally entering into a dialogue with the theme of the exposition presented by the works and, of course, the audience. Simultaneously acting as an artist and “own work”, Weld Queen literally “brings art” closer to the spectator, enters his personal space and thereby creates new relationships in the conceptual triangle “work of art – spectator – artist”.
Weld Queen’s exhibition images are an integral part of her individual artistic mythology, based on the unique features of professional identity. The artist creates her “welding” reality with her own laws, internal relationships (queen-vassals-maids of honor, etc.) and even aesthetic canons. In this reality, above all else, the hard and creation-oriented labor is valued. In the profession of a welder, it is open and illustrative, however, labor is a universal good, therefore the image of a welder is only a starting point for the popularization of this idea (both in the art world and in the society). Weld Queen’s own example shows how to build a bridge between such a different world of welding and artistic creation, how to make your work and professional activity prestigious, worthy of elevating to the rank of high art and high fashion.
Each suit is one of the organic images of the “welding reality” on the one hand, and the stereotypes of our reality on the other hand. An invariable accessory of each image is a welding helmet – a distinctive definition of a professional specialization of the artist, at the same time imitating the crown metaphorically.
2017-2018
