Hanging Clothes
Photographic Installation
The series of images above is part of an installation* which intends to raise awareness about the
deplorable conditions under which many of our clothes are made.
Unfortunately, sweatshops abound in the US and abroad, and many
clothing companies still hire third-party contractors without
checking accurately if workers will be submitted to decent
conditions. In many cases, the cheap clothes we buy were produced
under near slavery conditions.
The installation consists of a fake department store, with clothes
for sale. These, however, have "marks of oppression": blood stains,
dirt, holes, and other marks that laborers often suffer due to
overwork, bad environmental conditions, and accidents. People are
invited to choose the clothes they intend to "buy" and wear them at
the changing room, which mimics a sweatshop. Its dirty walls are
covered with labor-rights posters from around the world, and news
about labor abuses (from trustworthy news sources) while hidden speakers play
continuously the oppressive sound of twenty sewing machines.
* The installation "Buy Oppression" was first exhibited at SCAD—Atlanta's
5th floor exhibit space.
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