In molding, migrating, metal frames and
die molds are juxtaposed, forming two
key symbols of the industrial system: the
paradigm of production and the vessel for
material circulation. The die molds serve
not only as the foundational metric for mass
production but also as the materialized
embodiment of disciplinary mechanisms.
By predefining the shapes of products
with precision, they standardize workers’
bodies and actions, integrating them into
a regimented system of production. As
shoemaking techniques evolve, molds that
once demanded significant investment
in their creation have been rendered
obsolete, relegated to the status of technical
relics—unwanted, abandoned, and cheaply
recycled. The form of the metal frames draws
inspiration from the ubiquitous plastic baskets
scattered across factory floors. These frames
carry the material results of production,
metaphorically reflecting the drift and dilution
of labor value within global logistics networks.
Through the reconfiguration of these
industrial relics and everyday objects, the
artist examines how technological automation
imperceptibly erodes the histories of memory
and labor.
Detail pictures: