Today, I went to the "Making Strange" exhibit in the Fowler Museum on UCLA campus. I had never been in the Fowler Museum before and I really enjoyed it. The nice space made me feel as though I was no longer on the UCLA campus and I could really lose myself in the exhibit. It is definitely one of the many hidden gems of UCLA.
The "Making Strange" exhibit was a collection of the twenty-seven wearable dresses that artist Vivan Sundaram who from Delhi, India and a founding member of Sahmat, a foundation focused on collecting "important visual, literary, theatrical, and musical works in the name of artistic freedom and egalitarian values." (Fowler Museum). "Making Strange" consists of mainly dresses and other "outfits" that are made out mostly recycled materials and medical supplies. The dresses serve to play fun at the outfits that models wear on the runway while using unorthodox materials. I personally got a sinister vibe from the exhibit, though I'm not sure if that was the goal. The room was lowly lit and the pieces did not bring enthusiasm out of me. I could appreciate the work but I wasn't fond of many of the pieces. Some of the pieces were meant to represent illness, using doctor's face mask and rubber gloves to create dresses. I could see the theme Sundaram was going for as there was a clear tension between life and death. This piece, using doctors hats, scrubs, and other doctor's apparel, Sundaram constructed a crazy outfit that represents sickness and illness.
Two pieces I particularly liked were made out of sponges. I thought they looked funny and unique, as the large side made them even more presentable. It is hard to picture someone actually wearing one, but Sundaram claims they are wearable. I thought the exhibit did a good job of presenting the two sides of the "Making Strange" predicament.
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