ITP Thesis Archive 2024

Abstract

What is it about plastic that we just can’t seem to give up on?

In an attempt to create a biodegradable Barbie I found interesting materials, innovative processes and endless possibilities to replace the rubber and plastic used in the making of this iconic doll. The more I tried looking for this substitute, the bigger my failures became. When industry cooperation was required, information or help were almost impossible to find. This lack of appropriate fabrication facilities and the on growing financial costs of sustainable research soon made me realize that the problem may not be the “Bio” but the “Barbie”, it is not the material of this girl that is lacking but more the society she serves in her existence.
In this project I tried to find explanations to the absence of materiality through exploration of existing form. A careful examination of traditional doll making practices, American history of toy manufacturing and Mattel's different marketing strategies over the years, soon revealed that the problem is not only with the irreplaceable durability and excess use of plastic in our society but also it's well embedded clenching presence in our cultural perception. As modern feminist theories previously suggested, our fantastic idea of the American dream allows fr only one Barbie to be imagined, and sadly it's not the one that is good for us.

This installation is my attempt to tell the story of sustainable Barbie, a fictional yet very real character, that aims to challenge her plastic rival. In her modest appearance and through her continuous struggles, she also tells a story about womanhood, materiality and play in our consumer driven world. Through the mediums of soft inflatables, doll making and a bit of humour, I invite the audience to determine the quality of BioBarbie's life inside her window shaped box, and by that connect to their own experiences with this material. The audience is asked to control the inflation of random plastic pieces allowing by that a choice between illusion and reality, manipulation and truth, breathing and life or continuous and endless suffocation.

Technical Details

Bio plastics, inflatables, electric air pump, IoT relay, Arduino Nano 33IoT, cardboard and acrylic paint