THE GIRLS' BATHROOM
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND | VIDEO INSTALLATION
artist statement
a lot of my experience as a female has been cultivated in public bathrooms. from school dances to night clubs, i've bonded the most with friends and strangers over many a toilet or sink. i've hid from creepy dudes, consoled girls weeping because of boys, held back hair for those who've had one too many to drink, offered up the extra tampon, shared drugs, passed toilet paper, complimented dresses and shoes, and thought constantly to myself -- how can we better take care of these public spaces that inadvertently become safe havens for women?
a lot of my experience as a female has been cultivated in public bathrooms. from school dances to night clubs, i've bonded the most with friends and strangers over many a toilet or sink. i've hid from creepy dudes, consoled girls weeping because of boys, held back hair for those who've had one too many to drink, offered up the extra tampon, shared drugs, passed toilet paper, complimented dresses and shoes, and thought constantly to myself -- how can we better take care of these public spaces that inadvertently become safe havens for women?
In an environment that is unified in its design and purpose to offer a hygienic, efficient, and sterile atmosphere -- how can the bathroom be repurposed, redesigned, and reimagined to reflect the experiences of the women who pass through? How can women inspire each other to think more positively, more proactively, and peripherally? How can women be in conversation with each other in the present as well as the past? How can we enhance the experience by changing the environment? |
Proof of Concept
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The public experiment looks to promote body and mental positivity, provide free products, and turn the sterile (though often times unclean) architecture into a playground and plaza for women to converse with each other presently or with the legacy of women who have come before them. How can we foster community, promote positivity, and create art that engages in dialogue about the female experience? At the end of it all, can we take this experiment and create the same experience for men? projection on bathroom stall, analog signs. |