Fiona Carswell

THE MALIGNANT MOLE BIKINI  

The Malignant Mole Bikini was a prototype created as part of a wearable technology series for my thesis at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). Crossing a line between design and performance art, the goal of the thesis was to explore the boundaries at which someone's physical appearance could influence their behavioral choices. It explored the effect of critical design and art on behavioral change and health.

The bikini prototype was painted with special UV-sensitive paint that “grew” moles with exposure to UV light. As the wearer wears the bikini into the sun, dark spots appear on various locations on the bikini.

It was featured in Core77 and MedGadget, amongst others.

Fiona Carswell. The Malignant Mole Bikini, 2007. Cloth, UV-sensitive paint.