Hairbread

1993

 

collaboration with Evelyn Von Michalofski

 

Hairbread is a playful inquiry into exhibition culture and museum authority. Within the ethnological museum context, a ‘living culture’ display is juxtaposed with a selection of ‘preserved’ objects from other cultures in the museum’s permanent collection. The concept behind ‘living culture’ is inspired by an elaborated basics of survival, i.e. shelter and food, symbolized in this instance by hair and bread. Taking on multiple roles – as curators, conservators, bakers, hairdressers, tour guides – we activate the exhibition space and subvert expected functions by interacting daily with visitors and by making available free haircuts and reasonably priced freshly-baked bread (“Head Loaves” baked from molds of our heads).

 

 


 


 

media: human hair, bread (whole wheat, brown, white), cast aluminum, cooking spices, hair grooming substances, photograph, museum objects and various
dimensions: installation 1,000 sq. ft.

 

Curated by Victorine Arnoldus-Schröder for Gerardus van der Leeuw Museum, Groningen, Netherlands. Supported by The Canada Council for the Arts. The limited edition Hairbread bookwork is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Royal Ontario Museum, and Musée d’Ethnographie Neuchâtel.