Siberian woman stages frozen clothing installation to critique overconsumption

Novosibirsk photographer Olga Burmistrova took several unusual photos to show how many items a person leaves behind. She conducted the photoshoot in freezing temperatures. For the photos, she took items from her own wardrobe as well as costumes for photoshoots. She took some items that were planned for disposal from relatives.

«The shoot turned out to be more difficult than I expected. I thought I»d just quickly stick the items in the snow and photograph them, but I had to bury them a bit because there was almost no snow on the hill—it«s very steep and the wind blows the snow away. And it was also very slippery—you slide down the hill and it»s hard to scramble back up. Plus, some of the clothing had time to dry out and lost its stiffness because I started freezing it several days before the shoot,« recalls Olga Burmistrova.

Some of the exhibits had to be propped up from behind with sticks. The outdoor temperature at the time was -30°C (-22°F).

«The whole thing took two hours, of which the actual shooting was 10 minutes. My husband helped me; I couldn»t have done it without him. He participates in many of my adventures,« smiles the Siberian woman. »I«m not an eco-activist, but more of a sympathizer. I had a similar idea back in my childhood. Only instead of clothing, I imagined the trash that gets thrown out of car windows. I imagined it miraculously returning all at once and falling on the head of its former owner.»

The Siberian woman is convinced that buying clothes should be approached more responsibly.

«I know people who buy clothes and don»t even wear them. They gather dust in closets for years and then end up in a landfill. And last year I visited a landfill when we were taking out trash. I was shocked,« recalled Olga Burmistrova.

Meanwhile, Gen Z individuals worldwide are now massively refusing to make purchases—how this will hit the economy and change society.