Say my nails
24.10.2024 - 29.12.2024
SAY MY NAILS is the pop-up nail salon in DING Vitrine from Design Museum Gent, exploring the expressive potential of nail design. Moving beyond traditional nail treatments, the salon acts as a platform for artistic experimentation.
Our nails are a non-institutionalised space for expression that can be taken anywhere. Throughout history and across cultures, nail decoration has reflected personal identity, fashion and zeitgeist. Responding to the current nail art boom, SAY MY NAILS explores from a design perspective what our nails can communicate today.
SAY MY NAILS showcases four distinct projects by emerging talents selected through an open call. These projects delve into various aspects of nail art as a form of expression, challenging conventional notions of aesthetics and societal roles. Under the mentorship of Brussels-based nail artist Chloé Momi, Ghent queer collective Bebe Books, and Berlin/Karlsruhe-based designer Lizzy Ellbrück, each project went through a development process, culminating in its presentation in the pop-up salon.
From October 24th to November 17th, the salon will transform weekly to host each project, offering visitors the chance to engage with the unique nail design installations. From November 21st through December, ‘REFLECTIONS OF SAY MY NAILS’ will present traces of each project, alongside ‘nail’ mirrors designed by Lizzy Ellbrück.
1. Che Go Eun | 24.10 - 27.10
Che Go Eun
Four Noble Hands
Opening night on 24.10'Sagunja' or the Four Noble Plants — plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo — symbolize the four seasons and represent Confucian virtues such as integrity, humility and perseverance. During Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), Sagunja painting was a popular art form, traditionally practiced by men only.
Che Go Eun, a young Brussels-based artist originally trained in Korean painting, reimagines these classic ‘Sagunja’ symbols through intricate, 3D-printed nail designs. By merging the historical significance of Sagunja with digital craftsmanship, she transforms this masculine legacy into an expression of contemporary nail art aesthetics. Come view these unique designs in the window or experience them yourself.2. Emese Veszely | 31.10 - 03.11
Emese Veszely
Beauty Brains Biceps
Opening night on 31.10Beauty Brains Biceps is a temporary library and nail salon by Ghent-based graphic designer and visual artist Emese Veszely, celebrating muscular women and their relationship with glamour. The installation showcases a curated collection of books and (video)images featuring historical strongwomen and modern-day female bodybuilders. Emese also presents a self-made zine that explores the personal stories of truck drivers, construction workers, firefighters, and other women in hard labour industries dominated by masculinity. On top of this, visitors can request custom muscled nail art designed by Emese.
3. Enid Stassyns | 07.11 - 10.11
Enid Stassyns
Pearls Just Wanna Have Fun
Opening night on 07.11Step into Pearls Just Wanna Have Fun, a vibrant, shiny world created by Ghent-based graphic designer and artist Enid Stassyns, and (re)discover your ‘pearlhood’. Enid has made a universe where pearls are strung into playful, beautifully shaped designs, resembling whimsical flowers and quirky animals that iconically clatter, clash, and bang with every movement.
4. Maryam Alirezabeigi | 14.11 - 17.11
Maryam Alirezabeigi
My Nails My Weapon
Opening night on 14.11Drawing from years of personal experiences in nail salons across Iran, Turkey, and Belgium, Maryam Alirezabeigi, student autonomous design, explores the expressive power of nail art and its role in self-empowerment, relationships, and communication. Inspired by a dream in which she tore down curtains with her long, sharp, bright red nails, Maryam's one-week project, My Nails My Weapon, feature textile pieces alongside a soundscape that narrate stories from the world of nail art and salon gossip.
Reflections | 21.11 - 29.12
Reflections of Say My Nails
Opening night on 21.11In REFLECTIONS OF SAY MY NAILS traces from the four projects come together in an immersive installation. Four ‘nail’ mirrors designed by Lizzy Ellbrück act as symbolic backdrops for the project’s remnants. These mirrors are more than just reflective surfaces, they embody the core theme of SAY MY NAILS and they offer passers-by a moment for introspection. Within these mirrors, viewers will see not only their own image but also the echoes of the narratives that have unfolded over the past four weeks.
Practical info
Where: Drabstraat 2 - 9000 Ghent
When: 24.10 - 29.12
Free entry (treatments / some items available upon payment)