SKIN MANIFESTO
Project Type :
2023, Sculpture, Writing
"Skin Manifesto" is a sculpture made of plaster and steel accompanied by a printed manifesto for distribution in the exhibition. It serves as the final piece of the exhibition and brings together all the concepts explored in the show. The manifesto includes an overview of the metaphors presented: skin as a separator, a limitation, a measure, a reinvention, and a fifth metaphor as a vessel, discovered through the philosophical exploration of skin and identity. The manifesto opens and closes with poems emphasizing the significance of examining the skin and urges its readers to strive to become an “all-knowing self”.
SKIN MANIFESTO
written by Reto Chen
For a fleeting moment of their youth,
they were invincible, undefiled, astute,
Unprepared as the doom crept in,
unknowingly they peaked at thirteen.
On the playgrounds, they reign supreme,
driven by joy, they lead, they succeed.
Their passion and obsession
were once an evermore stream.
What sets them apart, from the grown-up us,
is the carefree vessel, yet untouched.
For we’ve lost the ability to obsess,
refrained our desires from dance,
adopted the hindrance of care,
marking our collective failure,
we hide, forget to be found, we erase.
Caring began with the moment we met
our own reflection, a mirror’s duet.
But what good have mirrors brought?
As they only reflect gazes of others,
disregard the owner’s presence,
we then collect the dread.
It was then we lost touch with ourselves,
filled the vessel, further withdrawn,
separate,
limit,
measure,
reinvent.
Now it’s me asking this,
if I am what others have seen,
should I stare at my own skin?
It is time we shed light on the overlooked subject of our own skin. We should acknowledge the double-sided nature of our skin and the multifaceted roles it embodies. On one hand, our skin serves a biological function. Yet on the other hand, our skin acts as an active zone for internal reactions, influencing our sense of self. Simultaneously embodying different roles but always interconnected, the skin can be viewed in five prominent metaphors: the skin as a separator, as a limitation, as a measure, as a reinvention, and as a vessel.
Skin as a separator
Our skin separates binaries. It is the separator of the “in” and ”out” of the human body, the self and the other, the flesh and the world. It raises the question of location. What is located inside and what lives outside? The skin separates, connects, transports, and internalizes information from the outer world to the self. Internal reactions or our so-called human psyche thus have been held “in” by our skin. Once the boundary for containing the psyche is set, skin and the rest of its underlying layers are revealed, contributing to identity formation.
It is imperative that we examine the skin’s fundamental existence as a physical appearance. Our skin’s characteristics, such as color, texture, and hair, offer insights into our race, sex, and ethnicity. Though appearance can be altered, certain attributes of our skin provide indications of our social status, cultural heritage, and personal history. These clues can only lead to assumptions, but they inevitably leave impressions. When appearance is perceived by others, it forms impressions that can ultimately result in judgment. We may internalize the viewer’s reactions and judgments, leading us to make adjustments that can ultimately shape our personality and behavior. This very process is depicted by the metaphors of skin as a limitation, as a measure, and as a reinvention.
Skin as a limitation
Looking at the skin as a limitation refers to how skin limits our actions and behaviors. Limitations come from judgments, from others, and from the self. The appearance of the skin and the internalized feedback of others' words and acts to the self create a behavioral constraint chained around us. When one puts on a mask or conceals their face, it erases one’s identity. Covering one’s skin breaks the limitation set by the skin and enables the individual to challenge social rules and channel alter egos.
It is also important that we highlight desire as the contrasting opponent of the limitations of our skin. Basic desires to eat, reproduce, live, love, create, and bond, can be contained and oppressed by the limitations skin gives us. The role of our skin in the psyche becomes even more apparent when we consider its ability to portray our inner emotions to the outside world. From blushing to eye contact to sweating, our skin can give away our deepest thoughts and feelings, potentially limiting our behaviors or discouraging us from pursuing our desires.
The way we look, our colored skin, and the judgments that come with it have limited our capacity to pursue desires, interact with others socially, our relationships with family, our motivation to start the day, and our reluctance to display emotions. The smoothness of skin, the mark of aging, and the proportions of features and color of skin have long been associated with unjust preconceptions and prejudice.
Skin as a measure
Skin as a measure serves to mediate the tension between the desires and the limitations. As a solution, skin simultaneously becomes a criterion and a system that determines our behaviors, the way we dress, our speech, our actions, and our outer projections. Given the information about what our limitations and desires are, we are compelled to make decisions on how we present ourselves. This function of our skin determining how we respond to the outside world can encourage us to pursue our desire, on the other hand, it can restrain us and bind our actions by limitations.
Skin as a measure is a self-examination process that reinforces self-awareness and ultimately constructs self-identity. Our self-awareness is delicate and is formed from a collection of experiences and limited bodily perceptions. It is impossible to see our entire face or examine the entire body without external tools or instruments. Self-awareness is built through the reinforcement of the five senses and our experience interacting with the outer world, both constantly remind us of our existence. However, this reinforcement must be ongoing, leading to a fragmented self-awareness.
Since our self-awareness is so fragmented and easily diminished, one way to strengthen our self-awareness is by modification of our skin, which leads to our final stage of identity development with skin as a reinvention.
Skin as a reinvention
The skin can serve as a tool for reinventing ourselves and enhancing our self-awareness and self-consciousness. Tattooing and piercing, for instance, are modifications to the skin that can indicate something about one's identity. Similarly, the way we dress ourselves can be like putting on a costume, allowing us to adopt a new identity or conceal our true selves. Perfume, as an applied substance like a second skin, can also have a similar effect, whether it's to comfort oneself, signal a particular personality trait, or attract others. These are all ways that we can reinforce our existence.
Another way the skin is a reinvention is our adjustment to judgment. When faced with both internal and external judgment, we tend to make adjustments that serve two purposes: to accommodate others and to conceal our true selves. Masks, clothing, and makeup are examples of how one can use the skin as a tool for reinvention. By altering, concealing, and accentuating different parts of the skin surface, we are able to transform our appearances and channel new identities. This reinvention is often motivated by social codes, expectations, and standards. Reinventing the skin allows us to fit in with social norms and cope with the demands of society. However, that comes with the cost of losing one’s true identity.
The origin of culture lies in our tendency to modify nature. We transform the sounds we make into languages and modify our bodies to conform to social standards, codes, and expectations, which can take us further away from our true selves. Following this logic, the only way to avoid this is to detach ourselves from culture, but this is neither feasible nor practical. Therefore, I propose a new approach, a fifth metaphor to view our skin: skin as a vessel.
Skin as a vessel
Skin as a vessel is our ultimate goal. We need skin to be a vessel and just a vessel only. Because we can’t escape the fact that we live in a society, we need to free ourselves from within with our internal reactions and the way we think about ourselves. After going through the various stages of constructing self-identity and exploring our skin as a separator, measure, limitation, and reinvention, we must strive to become an all-knowing self - an individual who is conscious of every internal process going through our minds. An all-knowing self means that we are well connected with our desires, we are mentally free from limitations and self-doubts; our measuring system is reconsidered to only benefit our well-being and pursue joy; our reinventions should be transformative and not erasing. What we present on the outside should cater solely to our needs, and be modified only by our own desires. As long as we do not transgress moral ethics, we should have the freedom to follow our heart's desires. This realm of freedom is what we strive to achieve.
By becoming an all-knowing self, we minimize internal conflicts and keep ourselves aloof from strife. We must examine our skin, and know its different functions and effects on the human experience. Our skin should be viewed as a tool to help us know everything about ourselves, to the point back when we know little to nothing about ourselves, just like a kid. A kid that has no care in the world. Only when we are an all-knowing self that we can see through our yearning for modifying our skin and let our skin be just a vessel that belongs to a kid.
Stare at your own skin.
Let the desires desire.
Let us dismantle the limitation by knowing the skin.
Let us reevaluate how we measure.
Let us let go of the reinvention.
Let skin help you know everything about yourself until it is pointless.
Pointless as you return to a self that knows nothing about yourself again.
Your kid self.
Your kid self who let desires desire.
Your kid self who does as you please, be as you are.
Your kid self looks at the skin as a vessel and a vessel only.
A vessel that breathes.
A vessel that doesn’t dictate.