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CharmingBurka A project by Markus Kison
Project website: markuskison.de/CharmingBurka
Synopsis The CharmingBurka sends a self-defined picture of the wearing person to every mobile phone next to it. The project researches about clothes with a digital layer that is different to their first optical impression.
Project descriptionThe CharmingBurka deals with Freud's idea that all clothes can be positioned between appeal and shame. The Burka was chosen, because it is often perceived in the west as a symbol of repression. A digital layer was added so that women can decide for themselves where they want to position themselves virtually. The Burka sends an image, chosen by the wearer, via Bluetooth technology. Every person next to her can receive her picture via mobile phone and see the women's self-determined identity. In the artists interpretation the virtual appeals can not be gathered by the laws of the Koran and so the Charming Burka fulfills the desire of living a more western life, which some Muslim women have today.
Therefore the Burka is equipped with bluetooth antenna/micro-controller and uses the OBEX protocol, already working with most mobile phones. The wearer may turn the system on whenever she wants to send the image.
Although the CharmingBurka is positioned in the context of religion, this project should be seen as a research towards the future possibilities of everyday clothing to own a digital layer and transmit additional information about its wearer. It questions which information people would choose to send. For example this might also be an image of their "Second Life" avatar.
Sponsor / technologyThe prototype is realised with the bluetooth marketing solution Mobimat (www.mobimat.de) developed by Haase & Martin, the mobile marketing company in Dresden/Germany.
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CharmingBurka @ SEAMLESS 2008 Seamless is a fashion event featuring innovative and experimental works in computational apparel design, interactive clothing, and technology-based fashion. This year more than 1000 visitors attended the show in the Boston Museum of Science. Model Meiver De la Cruz presented the CharmingBurka on the catwalk while the audience could receive the portrait of the model on their mobile phones. After the catwalk visitors came around to discuss the idea or pic up the picture, if they did not do this before.
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© Based on a photo by Guy Hoffman
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Related linksArticle about the Charming Burka on SPIEGELonline (in german)
Article on ZEITonline (german)
Photos/text: © 2008 by Markus Kison
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