When I hear about Bianca Censori’s new headlines my mind races to nude outfits, or just appearances, no outfit. Not this time though, I felt the shock too. Some people go to Seoul for K-Pop, others go for K-Fashion, Censori went for the kitchen. She “baked” a cake and went on with her BIO POP show, an exhibition about objectification, domesticity and womanhood.
Her performance art show started with her in a full red latex bodysuit, breast structure and the full deal, in an all-metal kitchen that made her look more like a robot than a human, in the best way possible. She was messing around “preparing” a cake that made its appearance ten minutes into the show. And it’s cloche matched her, red glaze and all. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was dressed in latex too. After channeling her inner Gordon Ramsay, she glided the cake over the trusty old food cart and walked to the far end of the room, where all the action was.
A sort of white curtain slowly revealed what would be the dining room, showcasing furniture designed by Censori and produced by Ted Lawson, that seemed lifted straight from a medical supply catalog, made of literal medical crutches and beige fur. You think that’s the weird part? Did I mention that women in masks and beige latex bodysuits designed by KidO Shigenari, again, robot-like women that were disturbingly alike Censori, lived inside the furniture in all kinds of weird poses? I didn’t know the human body could move like that… Bianca left the cake on the table, took a seat and stared at it for about a minute before the curtains closed.
This is where Censori’s seven-part cycle begins, with her last show scheduled for 2032. “Domesticity is the mother of all revolutions, because all others trace back to it… Positions learned in private are worn in public.” the “Series 01: The Origin” statement reads. Domesticity is turned upside-down, literally, objectification is made visible, and womanhood is explored through uncanny forms, we’re talking about West’s wife after all. It’s part art, part nightmare.
Dazed asked Censori “Why did you choose the kitchen as the origin point for this exploration of womanhood?” She responded, “Because it’s where care, labour and expectation intersect first.” Dazed continued, “The contortionists were wearing masks. And all of the bodysuits (including yours) had a plastic shine to them. Could you tell me about the intention behind the materials?”, she explained, “They remove specificity. They turn the body into a surface people can mirror themselves, if they choose to.” And the last question that managed to poke its way into my brain was, “You were wearing red, with a red cloche covering your plate. Why this colour?” Bianca simply said, “Red signals offering, exposure and consumption.”
At the end of the show, all that was left was a cake and the uncomfortable realization that objectification can look eerily domestic. Shiny and red too.
