KIM1995 has had two exhibitions so far, one in Milan at Castiglioni Fine Arts Gallery in 2018 and the other in Turin at the booth of the same gallery at the Artissima fair this year. Yet her creations – chairs, as symbols of immobility, and posters with proclamations like, “Technologies instead of physical displacement,” “Don’t Move,” or “Support Local Business” – didn’t accumulate any polluting air miles. For both of them the artist sent no objects. She sent information and let local collaborators and art students from the local universities make them. The idea is not only to use local materials and businesses, but by means of technologies instead of physical displacement, to make strong links with local cultures and to encourage connections with others beyond a geographical divide. KIM995 does not have total control over her works, but this is also what makes them unique. The names of the people involved in the production of the work are included in the title, accompanied by information about the level of CO2 emissions that the artist has managed to save by working this way.
The process of selling and buying the work is also subject to the same principles. KIM1995 only sells her works to collectors who are not going to produce any CO2 while bringing them back home. And, of course, payment is in bitcoin. Besides, it is important for her that there is a cultural connection between the collector and the work, so if someone is interested in buying her work, KIM1995 activates the realisation of a locally produced piece. This implies that the collector also activates their network and helps with the production. After all, when you don’t move, you pay more attention to your environment and think about how to respect it.
We are referring to KIM1995 as a woman, but we actually don't know if the pseudonym refers to a woman or a man, to someone black or white, gay or straight… KIM1995 does not want such categories to interfere with the perception of her work. Even her gallerist Luca Castiglioni has only had email exchanges with KIM1995 – the gallery’s website just gives the biographical details that the artist and designer lives and works in St Nevis and Kitts, and was born there in 1995. “I discovered her work on Instagram,” says Castiglioni. “I only know her nickname, but it is actually not important if it is her real name or not, because it becomes real the moment the object is realised.” It’s an approach that won’t necessarily save the world, but it gives us something to think about, more than we might otherwise and that cannot be a bad thing.
The process of selling and buying the work is also subject to the same principles. KIM1995 only sells her works to collectors who are not going to produce any CO2 while bringing them back home. And, of course, payment is in bitcoin. Besides, it is important for her that there is a cultural connection between the collector and the work, so if someone is interested in buying her work, KIM1995 activates the realisation of a locally produced piece. This implies that the collector also activates their network and helps with the production. After all, when you don’t move, you pay more attention to your environment and think about how to respect it.
We are referring to KIM1995 as a woman, but we actually don't know if the pseudonym refers to a woman or a man, to someone black or white, gay or straight… KIM1995 does not want such categories to interfere with the perception of her work. Even her gallerist Luca Castiglioni has only had email exchanges with KIM1995 – the gallery’s website just gives the biographical details that the artist and designer lives and works in St Nevis and Kitts, and was born there in 1995. “I discovered her work on Instagram,” says Castiglioni. “I only know her nickname, but it is actually not important if it is her real name or not, because it becomes real the moment the object is realised.” It’s an approach that won’t necessarily save the world, but it gives us something to think about, more than we might otherwise and that cannot be a bad thing.
