When we come to think of it women can handle their computers just as adroitly as men, but when we feel like joking every one of us can pounce on women’s alleged ineptitude around technology. These sexist notions (namely, that women are all fashion-minded and not very clever technology-wise) although, of course, false, are quite sticky and sometimes break out in most unexpected places. Or attempts to turn the tables do.
Designers Jennifer Shannon and Andi Cheung hit upon an idea to play around these misconceptions in a way that brings together technology and fashion – their bikini is more sexy (or less sexy, depending on how you look at it) than your average one from being made of junk hardware from dismantled old computers.
An objet d’art designed within the program of the Recurring Concepts in Art class at the Guggenheim Museum as the students were asked to reformulate their old projects unaided by technological devices, the hi-tech bikini is a jab at stereotypes. Outside the intended purpose it can’t help looking a bit scary with all those little metal parts sticking out, and one can hardly expect this outlandish concept to travel far beyond the classroom walls.
