Glass Wall 'Canvas' Transforms Online Hatred into Pride-Filled Portrait
Every day 27 million women are victims of age-shaming on social media simply because of their appearance: a scar, a wrinkle, lacklustre skin that suggests advancing age or an aesthetic treatment done to make a woman feel better about herself. To take a stance against age-shaming Swiss artist Simon Berger created 'Fragments of Beauty', a glass wall on display in the heart of Milan.
His 'canvas' is a glass wall using offensive comments and hate messages collected from social listening across twelve countries including the UK, France and Italy. His 'brush' is a hammer that he uses to imprint the highlighted facial features of fashion model Sanne de Regt into the sheet of glass in a form of controlled shattering (a process the artist calls morphogenesis).
"In my field, having healthy, glowing and even skin is very important," testifies Sanne de Regt, actress and model. "When my face started showing signs of aging, I was targeted online. It was really painful. People need to know that beauty is not how others see us, but how we see ourselves. You are unique. You are beautiful. Just be yourself. No matter what they say, never stop loving yourself."
The completed artwork is 'Fragments of Beauty', a powerful piece which transforms online hate into a pride-filled female portrait. The piece was revealed this weekend during Milan Fashion Week and is now publicly displayed in Piazza XXV Aprile - in the heart of Milan - to spread its message of self-esteem, respect and inclusion to everyone.
"If my art can serve a good cause, it is an honour for me to contribute. This is one of the most rewarding aspects to my creativity," adds artist Simon Berger.
'Fragments of Beauty' accompanies the launch of RELIFE's new campaign, which has chosen 'Beautify Time' as its concept: a revolutionary approach to anti-aging that, thanks to the values of conscious innovation and placing the human being at the centre, stands by those who want to feel comfortable in their skin and cultivate their beauty at any age.
Charlotte Ungerth, marketing director of RELIFE Global says, "At RELIFE we firmly believe that every woman has the right to choose how she looks and be herself. It is important not to stop loving ourselves by learning to place less and less importance on what others say about our appearance."
"You have the perfect marriage of creativity and communication when the former reorganises elements of reality and gives them new life to reach people's hearts, as well as minds, with messages that can revolutionise people's lives," explains Fabio Teodori, chief creative officer of McCann Health Boot. "'Fragments of Beauty' is a message of strength, showing that beauty, no matter at what age, is stronger than any negative judgment."
