‘To understand globalisation – both past and present – nothing beats examining a piece of fabric. No doubt because it is made only of threads and weaves, and the journeys of the shuttle,’ writes Erik Orsenna in Journey to the Land of Cotton (2006). No doubt also because, in every corner of the Earth, human beings clothe themselves in these pieces of fabric. An everyday practice that binds us together, it also allows us to shape our identity, to present ourselves to the world and, in doing so, to fit in and to stand out. But at what cost?

In Switzerland, a person buys an average of 60 new items of clothing a year, amounting to 14.2 kg of textiles. And every year, they throw away 11.1 kg. Of this, 4.1 kg ends up directly in household waste and is incinerated. Yet some of these clothes have never even been worn.

With Annual Collection, Anas, Awan, Bradlaun, Chloé, Daniela, Ilana, Kevin Kocher, Louu, Soraya, Spy, Ylenia and the artists Vanessa Riera and Carla da Silva have transformed these fast-fashion discards, sourced from the Vestiaire social, to design and create intriguing outfits and sculptural silhouettes, composed according to the figures for our clothing consumption in Switzerland. The young people then posed wearing their creations in photographs inspired by the visual codes of advertising from major brands – codes that are ubiquitous and familiar. By subverting these codes, the project questions the excesses of the textile industry and the advertising imagery that encourages us to buy ever more, whilst highlighting the accumulation, excess and real weight of our habits. Annual Collection invites us to look differently at what we wear — and what we discard.

The exhibition, organised in partnership with the Centre de la photographie Genève, is on display in the windows of the kiosk at the Rond-point de Plainpalais.

PAC(O) – Projets Artistiques Collaboratifs (et Orientations) is a unique social and cultural organisation that provides support and re-engages young people in distress who show a particular interest in the arts. Young people aged between 15 and 25 receive personalised social, educational and psychological support from a dedicated and caring multidisciplinary team that works in collaboration with extensive networks. They are encouraged to develop their artistic skills by working alongside experienced artists.