Through The Second Skin, Maren

A photo series full of movement and rotations. Through The Second Skin painfully makes clear how much we need to shield ourselves in order to escape the bombardment of information in our society to remain ourselves. It shows how the models retreat into their self-made cocoon - as a form of self-protection - to be themselves in their own world. Their emotions seem invisible to the outside world; they only show their shell, an armor, to the outside. They can no longer be touched. Thus, distance to the outside world is created. But is this really the case? If we look closer, we see that the fabrics flow smoothly around their bodies. The models are wrapped up; as if it were an idea of Cristo, the famous wrapping artist. In the poses and postures of the models, the world of dance and movement can also be recognized. Limbs are stretched and backs are bent smoothly to create dramatic shapes. Sometimes you see a single body part appear outside the fabric, but most of the time the body parts are hidden. And many times you see an intense gaze through the shell. The shapes, the posture, and thus also the gazes secretly reveal more than the models think. Thus, we are drawn into their world with them and still become involved. In the photos where multiple models are hidden under one and the same fabric shell and thus enter into a relationship with each other, you see something else. Here, the creator introduces a powerful sculptural element, causing the intimacy of the posture that the models have assumed to initially remain out of view. Only after looking longer do you realize that these postures are universal for the connection that people enter into, their collaboration and joint strength when they put that collaboration into action.