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Modern building with large windows, trees, and a café on the ground floor, lively street with bicycles and pedestrians.The Temporary Bauhaus-Archiv
Modern table lamp with round glass orb, chrome steel base, and transparent socket. Ideal for stylish lighting.Bauhaus-Shop
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“hands on nails – we are open”: A Discursive Salon

#Backstage
18/2/24
3
min reading time
from Carla HuttenloherMagdalena Zagorski

The idea for the project came from those nail studios which seem to have popped up on every street corner in the city. What is this everyday phenomenon all about? Who are the people working in this branch and the scenes that have evolved from it? What motivates them? Is nail design an art, a handicraft or a service? And what does all this have to do with the Bauhaus?

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With its programme “hands on nails”, the Temporary Bauhaus-Archiv explored nail art through artistic, social and economic perspectives. Guided by the motto “we are open”, the participatory and discursive salon format provided a platform for exchange between practitioners, artists and visitors.

Short films, interventions and performances shed light on both the craft and the hype surrounding nail art, its precarious working conditions, and its emancipatory potential. A historical perspective drawn from the Bauhaus-Archiv collection revealed surprising connections to nail art. Visitors were invited to design their own nails at DIY stations, contribute new entries to the exhibition glossary, and browse a selection of publications and other materials offering deeper insights into the topic.

Through the live events “Context:Society”, “PlayingField:Body” and “StartingPoint:Exploration”, visitors were invited to participate actively and engage in collective reflection with others.

Participants

Maria Alcaide, Charissa Chioccarelli & Magdalena Bonamin, sieblersiebler, Eduard Vegerle, Phương Thanh Nguyễn & Phương Thúy Nguyễn, Âni Võ, Verena Brakonier, Jivan Frenster & Greta Granderath, Crystal Kayiza, Ayşe Güleç, Camilla Inge Volbert & Eily Thams, Nadja Buttendorf, Maharu Maeno

A creative space with a wall collage, printer, and desk, illuminated by soft light.
Exhibition view “hands on nails – we are open”: interactive glossary
Photo: Konrad Langer

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Interactive glossary
Video: Project team
Abstract composition featuring a head, a hand, and a sphere against a blue background with geometric shapes.
Heinz Loew, “Kopf, Hand, Kugel” (Head, Hand, Ball), 1927
Bauhaus-Archiv Berlin
Hands with colorful, artistic nails holding an elegant teapot.
Nail Art x Bauhaus: An Artistic Intervention by Camilla Inge Volbert in Collaboration with the Bauhaus Shop
Nail Art: Camilla Inge Volbert / Photo: Hyesoo Chung
Quote by Magda Zagorksi on avant-garde thought regarding Bauhaus and nails on a yellow background.
Graphic: Glanz & Kante

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  • For Further Reflection at GLANZ & KANTE

    GLANZ & KANTE is a podcast dedicated to jewellery, objects worn on and around the body and practices of adornment. As a sparkling dialogue centred on the phenomenon of jewellery, the podcast offers insights into the many facets of objects worn on and around the body. In this episode, Magdalena Zagorski from the curatorial team speaks with Anne Sophie Ruth Schneider and Cathleen Kämpfe about “hands on nails”.

    Listen to the Episode

Learn more about “hands on nails – we are open”

  • Group discussion in a modern room with bright light and colorful accents, participants sitting around a table.

    Context:Society – Perspectives on Nail Studios

    Backstage
  • Woman in a pink blouse caring for a houseplant, with a modern interior in the background.

    PlayingField:Body – Nail Art Between Physical Labour and Creative Self-Expression

    Backstage
  • Two people getting a manicure; one wears a striking hat and tattoos, with light creating a special atmosphere.

    StartingPoint:Exploration – Bauhaus and Nails

    Backstage
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