La distopía es un término habitual en la ciencia ficción y se entiende por ella un futuro no deseable y por lo general caótico, opuesto a la utopía. Este es el punto de partida de la colección Electric Sheep & Broken Dolls, aunque más que un futuro imaginario, lo que trata de reflejar es un presente distópico, más real que ficticio y con algo de autobiográfico.
Un mundo desigual, absurdo y caótico donde a pesar de vivir en llamada era de la información estamos tan desinformados como siempre. Las supersticiones y los mitos siguen siendo demasiado abundantes y nuestra aldea global, rica y variada, puede acabar convirtiéndose en una gigantesca torre de Babel. Gracias a la globalización estamos más conectados que nunca pero ¿son conexiones reales? Fingimos nuestra identidad y la construimos a nuestro antojo, inventamos un pasado y unos recuerdos que componen un ser actual que no existe, que sólo representa nuestros anhelos en una realidad virtual. Lo físico deja paso a lo mental que a su vez es anestesiado con sustancias intoxicantes que hagan mitigar el miedo que nos invade. Lo único que sabemos con certeza es nuestra ignorancia respecto a por qué estamos aquí. Como dijo Sartre todo lo que existe nace sin razón, se prolonga por debilidad y muere por casualidad. Nuestra existencia es absurda, nuestra desaparición es ininteligible y tenemos miedo; miedo al cambio climático, miedo a la inmigración, miedo a la inseguridad ciudadana, miedo al terrorismo, miedo a las epidemias, miedo. Como en una novela de ciencia ficción, un gobierno tirano nos priva de nuestra libertad, de nuestras emociones y sentimientos, de lo que nos hace humanos: nuestra capacidad para imaginar.
El concepto literario y cinematográfico de distopía es la base de la que parte esta nueva colección. Un mundo caótico y oscuro donde distintas culturas y tribus se mezclan en un entorno urbano. Criaturas que habitan un lugar gélido y tecnificado donde la vida natural y artificial de funden. Nómadas que ante la perspectiva de una desaparición segura buscan, exploran y recogen algo de cada lugar, cada momento y cada ser. De esta manera, se crean una serie de personajes que bien podrían poblar una de estas historias posmodernas.
Una colección ecléctica y articulada en pequeños grupos, parejas casi siempre, que muestran unas prendas a medio camino entre lo tradicional y lo tecnológico, aunque con una tecnología un tanto obsoleta. Los mismos materiales y las mismas siluetas se repiten una y otra vez, pero es su manipulación lo que hace que parezcan diferentes, componiendo cada pieza como si de una pintura o una melodía se tratase. Tejidos naturales son trabajados con técnicas que modifican su estructura, decorados e intervenidos tomando como inspiración artesanía y tradiciones de los cinco continentes, sobre todo para la elección de materiales y fornituras. A ellos se unen prendas con un carácter más performativo que incluye elementos eléctricos, luminiscentes o magnéticos. Elementos que se camuflan con el entorno urbano lleno de letreros y neones.
Dystopia is a common term in science fiction that refers to an undesirable and often chaotic future, as opposed to utopia. This is the starting point for the collection Electric Sheep & Broken Dolls, although more than an imaginary future what it attempts to reflect is a dystopian present, more real than fictitious and with a little autobiographical.
An unequal, absurd and chaotic world, where despite living in so-called era of the information we are so uninformed as ever. Superstitions and myths are still too abundant and our global village, rich and varied, can turn into a giant tower of Babel. Thanks to globalization we are more connected than ever but, are they real connections? We pretend our identity and build it at will, we invent a past and memories that make up a human being that doesn’t exist, which only represents our hopes in an virtual reality. The physical gives way to the mental, which in turn is anesthetized with intoxicants to mitigate the fear that grips us.
All we know for sure is our ignorance about why we are here. As Sartre said every existing thing is born without reason, prolongs itself out of weakness, and dies by chance. Our existence is absurd, our demise is unintelligible and we are in fear; fear of change, fear of immigration, fear of insecurity, fear of terrorism, fear of epidemics, fear. Like in a science fiction novel a tyrant government deprives us of our freedom, our emotions and feelings, what makes us human: our ability to imagine.
We believe that future developments will be those that will lead us to the decline and decay, that new technologies will only serve to control and manipulate our decisions like poor blind sheep, but all that we refuse to see is our connection to the rest of the world and that we are responsible for a personal dystopia. Are new ideas that solve new problems and the diversity allows us to survive. However, we are using our choice to do what everyone does. As an ancient method of survival we follow the herd without questioning why. We comply with the traditions without asking about its usefulness. We fight spirits and we commend ourselves to inert images without reason. A primal instinct pervades the network we inhabit weakening its nodes one by one.
The literary and cinematic concept of dystopia is the base for this new collection. A dark and chaotic world where different cultures and tribes are mixed in an urban environment. Creatures that inhabit an icy and technological place where natural and artificial life merge. Nomads, who at the prospect of a certain demise search, browse and pick up something from every place, every moment and every being. This way are created a series of characters that could be part of one of these postmodern stories.
An eclectic collection divided into small groups, couples often, show garments midway between tradition and technological, albeit with a slightly outdated technology. The same materials and the same silhouettes are repeated again and again, but is their manipulation what makes them look different, composing each piece as a painting or a melody. Natural fabrics are worked with techniques that change its structure, decorated and modified, taking as its inspiration crafts and traditions of five continents, particularly in the choice of materials and trimmings. They join garments with a more performative nature including electrical, luminescent and magnetic elements. Elements that blend into the urban environment full of signs and neon.
An eclectic collection divided into small groups, couples often, show garments midway between tradition and technological, albeit with a slightly outdated technology. The same materials and the same silhouettes are repeated again and again, but is their manipulation what makes them look different, composing each piece as a painting or a melody. Natural fabrics are worked with techniques that change its structure, decorated and modified, taking as its inspiration crafts and traditions of five continents, particularly in the choice of materials and trimmings. They join garments with a more performative nature including electrical, luminescent and magnetic elements. Elements that blend into the urban environment full of signs and neon.
Collection ELECTRIC SHEEP & BROKEN DOLLS year 2011
by VÅLDNAD