2nd Skin: Transformation

The theme of the Project is transformation. This is represented through various elements. The puffer jacket, when viewed from the side, resembles a cocoon, symbolizing the transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly. The long sleeves of the puffer jacket are meant to represent snakes shedding their skin. The model's arms represent snakes, and the oversized sleeves depict the old skin of the snake as an act of transformation.

 

The work is to be understood as a critique of society. The act of transformation from a cocoon (caterpillar) to a butterfly is widely associated with positivity, while the transformation of a snake from old skin to new skin, with the snake being seen as a negative symbol. In both cases, the essence remains the same; only the appearance changes through transformation. This illustration aims to question societal change: Are we really changing for the better as a society? Or are we making the same mistakes repeatedly and remaining fundamentally the same, like the snake and the butterfly?

 

This question also relates to current events such as the war in the Gaza Strip, the war in Ukraine, and the right-wing shift in Germany. The work poses the critical question of whether we, as a society, are truly learning or if we are repeatedly making the same mistakes.

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This statement is reflected in the poem below.