Epidermis

Epidermis 

Inkeri Virtanen

Mixed sheer fabrics,≈180cm, video

I am fascinated by moulting, which is common for reptiles. It is a process where the reptile sheds their outermost layer of skin (epidermis) leaving behind a trace of themselves, a perfect documentation of the dimensions of their body at that time. The shed skin especially with snakes, often stays intact as a shadow of the real creature with a ghostlike appearance.

To mimic the look and mechanics, I measured each piece of transparent fabric around a part of my body as accurately as possible, and sewed these pieces together to create a fictional shed skin.

In the video I have placed the `epidermis ́ on a tree on the yard of an abandoned office building, to echo the abandonment of this version of my skin, of this part of my life.