As part of the 'Interspect' exhibition that visualised a range of data sets from the 2023 MA Communication Design cohort of Falmouth University of Arts, my artefact in response to a dataset revealing the deficient wages alongside long working hours of Nike's sweatshop labourers was a pair of 'Broken Sneakers'. Here, the trainers were a speculative piece of installation symbolic of the flaws and imperfections of the largely overwhelming sneaker culture breeding sweatshops and unethical practices of labour-intensive production.
Incorporating the Japanese philosophy of 'Kintsugi', the slits in between the sneakers (highlighting the flawed nature of the system) were all filled with crackling gold. The gold, however, was used to draw an allegory insinuating how prodigiously successful sneaker labels are despite their bleak realities that need unearthing.
The broader intent, whatsoever, was to have the audience question their relationship with branded consumerism and encourage them to make a guided shift towards sustainability.
