The project is contained within an enclosed room, with entry and exit through an existing central doorway. The walls and floor of the space are painted black except for a white projection screen on the wall facing the doorway.
As the participant enters the space, they are met by a 3D artefact titled “It’s a Doll Eat Doll World”. This assemblage of naked, gagged and crying Barbie Dolls is situated on a lit plinth allowing the participant to walk around, and view the piece from various angles.
Beside the 3D work, four fabric-wrapped chairs invite the participants to sit and linger in the space.
The chairs face an image video projected. These images play on loop and portray everyday objects and scenarios that disclose everyday sexism. Ken and Barbie are used as actors in the images. A soundscape provides audio examples of everyday sexism through recordings of actor’s voices and collected gendered sounds such as footsteps. The soundscape and image video are synchronised. At the end of each loop the participants are asked “Which chair did you chose?” The soundscape pauses on this image, allowing a moment for reflection.
Tables in front of the chairs and to the sides of the space, are laid with postcards and stickers branded with the project’s logo and icons. Posters invite the participants to take and wear the stickers. Participants are also encouraged to write down their own experiences of everyday sexism. Participants then place the postcards on fishing line along the walls of the space using paper clips.
As the participants turn back to exit the space, they encounter the Insta Walls covered in project iconography and branding, to encourage them to upload photos of themselves within the project and/or the project itself.
The Insta Wall also provide links to the Instagram account of the project @totallynotsexist and encourages the use of the #totallynotsexist hashtag – so moving the project beyond a physical artefact to the digital realm. The Instagram account is part of the project. It provides information on the topic of everyday sexism and the project installation, including behind the scenes information and posts about the final installation.
