Coming Apart Proposal
for
Rhizome 2010

Deux Conceptualiste Noir is an art duo, Zulema Griffin and Sherie L. Weldon, exploring the art of Virtual Fashion Design. We have been presenting fashion shows in this manner since Fall 2008. We began by being the first designers to list ourselves on the Fashion Calendar with a You Tube page to log onto. Since then, we have as well as this method of presenting fashion shows have grown in popularity. Deux Conceptualiste Noir produce collections every season under the brand Zulema and present the collection in the medium of video art under Deux Conceptualiste Noir and transmit the videos via social networks, blogs as well as other internet mediums. The collections are never produced for mass consumption, and though a 3 dimensional sample is produced, it is only made to live in a 2 dimensional world. I’m sure your asking what is the concept behind this medium. It is born out of 3 main concepts, Coco Chanel’s concept that fashion is more than just clothes, Nam June Paik’s collaborations with Designer Willi Smith, and the desire to keep the true essence of Couture alive, its concepts and ideas of beauty via new media. Couture is becoming a dying art with virtually no new clients to support it. But people will never evolve past the ideas and concepts it brings forth. Deux Conceptualiste Noir mission is to keep those concepts alive via digital mediums.


The project we are interested in presenting for the next fashion week closet to the grants release is Coming Apart. Coming Apart is an installation project with a simultaneous interactive online presentation. The concept behind Coming Apart is to create a dialogue with the world about matters of a fashion, race and sexual nature. A video will be produced about a couple, a black female and a white male, and their life in a day. Coming Apart will be filmed in an apartment and will give a glimpse into the life of a N.Y.C couple. All aspects of their lives will be explored including their sex lives. The film will not only show all the intimate moments of their day but, a sex act and the conversation that act inspires.


The installation will be 3 rooms in which a segment of the apartment will be recreated. The three rooms being recreated in part are the bedroom, kitchen, and living room. In each room there will be a hand crank laptop computer in which to log on and view the film. After the film plays the viewer is given an opportunity to blog the film on DeuxConceptualistenoir.tv. Viewers that are not present for the installation will also have an opportunity to participate by logging on to Deuxconceptualistenoir.tv. The film will be posted with an opportunity to blog about the film. Each room will have branded items for the viewer to take with them; the kitchen small containers of Ice cream, the living room, rolling paper, and in the bedroom condoms.


The installation should be a traveling exhibit that could be performed in different countries. The ultimate goal is to get the world to have an honest uninhibited conversation about the fashion of the day as well as sex and race.