The world nowadays is really fast. Time is money. With our experiments with salt, we attempted to create a social ritual where we want to slow people down, give them a break and let them relax.
To create this 'pause' we did more research into environment, sound, touch, feel and image. We experimented and did practical research through different mediums.
Himalayan salt is rock salt mined from the Punjab region of modern Pakistan. The salt often has a pinkish tint due to mineral impurities. It is primarily used as a food additive as table salt, but is also used as a material for cooking and food presentation, decorative lamps, and spa treatments.
Along with understanding the components of a salt scrub we made scrubs that were sustainable and didn't need newer elements. We experimented with button roses, mint leaves, dried orange and lemon peels and coffee beans. We added pure coconut oil and lavender essential oils for binding and aroma. We made multiple iterations trying to mix the elements to get a satisfactory scrub.
We experimented in ceramics with making bowls of salt using the turning wheel. As ingredients we used salt, cornstarch, water and clay. We made two different versions, one with the salt sprinkled on top of it and one with the salt combined already with the clay.
We created our own salt dough by making a mixture of salt, cornstarch, oil and water. It was difficult to construct it on a turning wheel, because it crumbled very easily and it fell apart instead of being sticky and useable for making a bowl. In the end, the explorations proved useful as an origin for creating bowls/scrub eggs as a part of our final outcome.
Inspired by our experience of turning salt, we improved our design and came up with a self-turning scrub experience. This installation is made for people who want to have a relaxing, salty pause. By scrubbing the hands with the turning installation, we combine the spiritual element of having a relaxing moment with the use of salt, with our research into trying to turn with salt.
We tried to create a completely self-sustaining installation, with a proposed filtration system for the water and using sustainable scrubs.
Making the salt basin for our base, out of salt, cornstarch, oil and water. We flattened the dough on top of a mould to create a basin.
For the main central salt scrub we opted to use orange peels to get a citric smell and a fibrous texture. We created the scrub mixture with the orange peels, coconut oil, salt, oil, cornstarch and water. We put the entire mixture in a hemispherical mould.
'a salty pause' this project was done in collaboration with Tamara Damberg and Wynona Bakker at the Willem de Kooning Academy(exchange semester) as a part of the Social Practice under the guidance of Issac Monte.
Thank you
