Coring is a textile art installation that critiques the global consumerist economy and its impact on the Earth as a sanctuary. Through the stacked T-shirts resembling core samples, the project explores the textile industry's role as one of the most lucrative and polluting industries today, with over 80 billion square meters of leftover garments ending up in landfills or being destroyed by burning. The installation highlights the widespread phenomenon of fast fashion and the parallel economy of stock destruction used to ensure price control when demand is not met. By using the notion of "coring" as both a medium and a framework to examine the cultural, social, political, economic, and environmental footprint of clothing, the project served as a critical response to the world's pressing environmental concerns, emphasizing the importance of preserving the Earth as a sanctuary for all.
Concept and design: Azra Akšamija
Research and design development: Kailin Jones, Lillian Kology
Production: Emma Harden, Lillian Kology, Becky Sellinger
Sculpture
New iteration comissioned by the Kunsthaus Graz for the exhibition Sanctuary (2024)
Materials: Used T-shirts, wooden construction
Dimensions: 1,2 x 1,2 x 6m