Scientific Journal of Pazhuhesh-e Honar

The primary concern of this study is to explore how everyday clothing transforms into polysemous symbols within Kaarina Kaikkonen’s artistic installations, with a particular focus on her work Are We Still Going On? through the lens of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s theoretical framework. This research investigates the role of clothing as a multifaceted medium that transcends its primary function, representing concepts such as identity, temporality, and human interaction. The significance of the study lies in the need to redefine the position of everyday objects in contemporary art and to underscore the capacity of Deleuze and Guattari’s philosophy to analyze processes of deterritorialization and reterritorialization, which challenge conventional boundaries between art, reality, and lived experience. The objective of the research is to analyze this installation by emphasizing the concepts of assemblage, rhizome, and body without organs to elucidate the mechanisms through which dynamic and interactive meanings are generated. The central research question is: How does clothing in the installation Are We Still Going On?, by drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s theoretical framework, contribute to the production of multiple meanings and foster active audience participation in meaning-making? The research employs a qualitative methodology, grounded in visual content analysis and a case study of the artwork. The approach integrates philosophical theorization with an examination of the installation’s visual and material elements to reveal the interplay between abstract concepts and their artistic manifestation. The findings indicate that Kaikkonen, by utilizing second-hand shirts within a rhizomatic structure, creates a non-hierarchical network wherein each shirt functions as a node interacting with other elements, generating fluid meanings. The deterritorialization of clothing’s traditional function transforms it into a symbol of collective memory and the passage of time, while its reterritorialization into boat-like forms conveys a sense of fragility and human solidarity. By inviting the audience into a sensory experience, the installation fosters an interactive space where meaning is continually regenerated.