State change of matter

Castel Belasi Contemporary Art Center for Eco Thought

Curated by Stefano Cagol

Composed of styrofoam, plastic bags and video projection. Dimensions variable.

This work utilizes the symbol of the ice bath to interrogate the connection between cycles of production, exploitation and ritual. “Self care” as it’s advertised in the United States has become an individualistic self-indulgence, plunging us deeper into the throes of a solipsistic, overworking culture. It’s framed in terms of productivity and efficiency and divorced from its origins in black feminist activist spaces, where the term referred to practices meant to sustain activism and survival in the face of systemic violence. The wellness industry continues to swell amidst historic inequality, appropriating language and sacred healing practices from across the world, sustaining a cycle of exploitation.

Awash in a culture of overwork and consumption, ritualistic practices like ice baths and saunas are exploding in popularity among people who can afford them. Their popularity signals a yearning for connection to self, but overuse and self-centered practices devoid of community create a distancing from self, and perpetuate a cycle of consumption and disconnection. The ice bath (as it’s advertised) promises to expunge toxins and fortify the body and mind. They also promise to alter your bodily and mental state. It’s ironic that cleansing practices to make people stronger are exploding in popularity as we learn of the accumulation of “forever chemicals” and microplastics in the body–asserting their permanence–as glaciers and other natural resources retreat and disappear.

When rituals become consumable goods, where are the opportunities for expansion and perspective? The popularity of these practices among the bourgeoisie do not seem to have cultivated a change in consciousness. Maybe they aren’t really working. Meanwhile, glaciers are changing their state: melting from ice to water, then evaporating into nothing–disappearing. We engorge ourselves with images and perpetual news cycles about climate disaster, but nothing seems to change.