La Charme
For Emiko Kasahara, female hair symbolises the ultimate love-hate relationship. To prove that point, the Japanese-born artist has picked eight Australian women, turned most into blondes and filmed them posing on five large circles of synthetic hair. “Hair is a symbol of beauty on the human body,” Kasahara said. “Hair represents vitality of life and sexualities and is precious. “But when you cut off the edge and let it fall on the floor, it’s considered disgusting dirt. It’s the same hair but it’s interesting that it shows both beauty and dirt.”

The Garden
The Garden is a living artwork that embraces the dichotomy between the natural environment and a synthetic man-made experience. Aitken’s The Garden installation brings the viewer into the center of the artwork and asks them to physically immerse, participate and become the subject of the installation. Set inside a dark warehouse space the viewer walks inside, their eyes adjusting to become aware of thick lush jungle growing under artificial grow lights. Walking closer, the viewer enters inside the jungle and discovers a huge rectangular glass cube. Inside the glass room is a man-made environment replete with generic elements of modern life: tables and chairs, a cabinet, a sterile tableau set under bright raking lights.

chromo sapiens
Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir / Shoplifter has transformed a warehouse in Giudecca into a multi-sensory, cavernous environment with a cacophonous amount of her signature material, synthetic hair. Color, sound and irresistible textures guide visitors through three distinct chambers provoking an immersive experience of visual and auditory stimuli.