In his artwork Digital Artifacts, models are suspended from cables and slowly lowered into a pool of melted wax, which is then lifted and solidified to form a sculptural costume.
The hardened shells retain a rough humanoid shape, a pastel white color, and a coral shape reminiscent of aliens.
The models in Digital Artifacts are strapped into White Bikini straps and slowly dip their toes into a pool of melted wax until they are submerged out in the water. The whole process seems bizarre and even torturous, but for Bart Hess, it was just the birth of another of his “living” sculptures
“During the Architecture Triennale the Digital Artefacts ritual is translated into a series of performances. Surrounded by the audience, a model will be dipped into a puddle of hot liquid wax resting in the center of a water tank. Under water her body is transformed into an architectural sculpture that will slowly be revealed when the model is lifted out of the water.
The water tank is a part of the Garment District platform: a platform of 9 water tanks in total. Floating above the water tanks, body sculptures will be presented that are the result of previous performances. The visitors walk through a landscape of dynamic waxsculptures that collectively visualize the unique character of the design process.” (http://barthess.nl/digitalartifacts.html)
Reference:
http://barthess.nl/digitalartifacts.html
http://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/future-couture