Months ago, when non-essential businesses were shut during the first Coronavirus lockdown (some countries, regions or cities all over the world are going through a second local lockdown as we write), many of us missed not being able to have a basic haircut and longed for a hair treatment or a scalp massage.
Even before the pandemic, Lena Ott founder and Editorial Color Director at the pioneering loft-style salon Suite Caroline, located in the heart of SoHo, New York, realised that, offering just new colors and styles to their clients wasn't enough. A makeover can definitely bring some joy, yet Ott was hoping to find a more innovative way to bring optimism and happiness not just on the head, but in the mind of their customers. Suite Caroline is well-known for its innovative and collaborative atmosphere, so Ott decided to come up with an arty collaboration.
Enter Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir, better known as Shoplifter. Yes, you got it, the contemporary Icelandic artist that created last year a super soft and multi-coloured monster-like sensorial cave of joy for the Iceland Pavilion on the Giudecca Island at the 58th International Art Biennale in Venice. Arnardóttir mainly uses hair - both real and synthetic - as her primary material for her immersive environments and installations. Through them she tackles a variety of issues including consumer culture, the relationship between fashion and identity, and the fetishism of everyday objects.
Arnardóttir accepted Ott's commission, but then Covid-19 disrupted their plans and they had to wait till last month before finally unveiling the collaborative project. When "Sunny", "Party" and "Gothy", the three cute and surreal fuzzy stalactites or "Nervelings", as Arnardóttir calls them, were installed above the salon rinse station, they assumed an entirely new meaning.
The sculptural artworks energised the space and activated it: the "Nervelings" became therefore an invitation for Suite Caroline's clients to lean back, look up and dream through the playfulness and optimism of neon hues and prismatic textures. While the rainbow-colored synthetic hair installations created a moment of unexpected happiness, becoming an integral part of the salon architecture, they also prompted customers to think about a new possibility - being able to enjoy contemporary art in unusual places and spaces other than galleries and museums.
Were you familiar with the work of Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir before commissioning her?
Lena Ott: I've known of Shoplifter for years because of our affinity for colorful hair, but I first experienced Shoplifter's work at Björk’s apartment. I was there to color her hair, and she took me on a tour. She has this incredible hallway that Shoplifter transformed into an otherworldly cave with colors chosen to represent the volcanic colors from Iceland. As I walked down the synthetic hair hallway to her daughter's room, the colors became more rainbow-nuanced and playful. I was in complete awe and wonder, wanting to keep walking the hallway back and forth.
What prompted you to commission her this installation for your salon?
Lena Ott: I reached out to Shoplifter before the pandemic to bring her colorful, signature art to Suite Caroline. Our team and clients relate to the daring playfulness and whimsy that Shoplifter does so well, and it felt so fitting to bring more of that spirit into our salon with a commissioned hair art installation. Commissioning the piece got put on pause when we temporarily closed due to Coronavirus, and when we reopened I was definitely subconsciously driven further to make it happen to amplify the feelings of optimism and joy that hair and art bring, especially when we need it most.
What was your reaction when you saw the pieces installed and what did your clients say about them?
Lena Ott: Sunny, Party, and Gothy are friends that you've known forever. The sculptures feel like they have always been here and really tie the loft space together, even peripherally. I sent photos of the salon to Shoplifter, and she did such an incredible job with the color palette. The pieces feel so appropriate for the space, bouncing off the station mirrors and keeping you company as you look up while getting a shampoo or hair treatment. Our clients have been commenting in wonderment, asking how the installation hasn't been here since the early days of the salon. The pieces have become living creatures, and I can't imagine the space without them.
Would you do this again with Shoplifter or with another artist?
Lena Ott: I can see Suite Caroline working with more artists in the future - whether that means participating in galleries or bringing art into the salon. I would absolutely do this again with Shoplifter, and I dream of having the whole salon turned into a Shoplifter world. I would transform the arch over my station and the entire ceiling. Shoplifter and I have also discussed collaborating in the future which is as exciting to me as Paris Fashion Week.
How did you feel when Lena contacted you about this installation?
Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir AKA Shoplifter: I was intrigued and inspired to create work that would hang in a hair salon, it is so fitting.
What inspired the "Nervelings" - "Sunny", "Party" and "Gothy"?
Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir AKA Shoplifter: I wanted to create three hanging sculptures that to me feel like characters and reference my series Imaginary Friends. Each of the three has its own color balance and combinations of shades to create one pastel colored then a colorful neon and the dark one. Each represents the atmosphere in the 3 caves that made up my installation "Chromo Sapiens", my contribution for the Icelancic Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2019.
Would you do it again for other types of shops and commercial spaces?
Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir AKA Shoplifter: This is not the first time I've collaborated with a company, brand or a commercial space, I enjoy making artwork that escapes the exclusivity of the gallery or museum and becomes relevant in the context of everyday life and pop culture in particular as is the core element represented in my signature medium, colorful hair extensions.
If you've been/are in lockdown, have you been creating all the same?
Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir AKA Shoplifter: Yes, making artwork is my personal meditation and antidote to boredom. I have been able to stay as productive as ever, especially since I can spend more time alone in the studio and develop new work.
Many museums and galleries are closing down in Europe as there is a second wave of Coronavirus, do you have any projects/exhibitions lined up for the future?
Hrafnhildur Arnardóttir AKA Shoplifter: Most exhibitions and projects that were on my calendar when Covid-19 took over our lives have been postponed to a future date, so I have some exciting exhibitions coming up next year. Now I have more time to contemplate each show and therefore the workload is the same, just less traveling for now and I welcome that!
All images in this post courtesy Suite Caroline/Shoplifter
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