Nicole Wermers sabotages and twists the originally assigned function of utilitarian objects from consumer culture and manmade urban infrastructure. Her Moodboards comprise readymade baby changing stations commonly found in public bathrooms, which the artist has filled with terrazzo flooring. Terrazzo can be traced back to ancient Egyptian mosaics, while the technique itself was developed in Italy in the 18th century. Composed from marble chips mixed in liquid cement, it was used ubiquitously in pavements and apartment flooring. The changing units are kept in grey hues, conveying the sanitary standard of the mass produced infant tables. An invention of the 1980s, the foldable amenities are intended to forge practical surfaces in confined public areas, making changing babies less of a chore and more hygienic, while, on the contrary, the multicolor marble chips in terrazzo flooring are intended to camouflage wear and dirt.

#baby #changingstation #functional #dysfunctional #terrazzo

photos: Nysos Vasilopoulos, 6th Athens Biennale 2018 ANTI