Fatima Deutscheskind's Fine Commerce Sport Sanctuary Series, formerly known as DON’T FORGET TO SELF-OPTIMIZE, 100% HABIT CONTROL, HOMEMADE PRISON OF HIGH EXPECTATIONS, and FRAGILE MINDS - STEELED BODIES, explores contemporary methods of body and mind enhancement.

 

Self-surveilling martial barbells with sharp spikes, cutting saw blades, and broken mirrors - a mashup of splatter game aesthetics and bodybuilding gear - contrast the ultra-cute, ultra-balanced, ultra-clear-pilled faces of third eye, gua sha, and cupping Zenmoji. The latter two refer to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) techniques that have gained popularity online for naturally rejuvenating and reshaping face and body.
 

The commodified parlance of sacred (places), healing (rituals), soothing (cosmetics), balanced (nutrition), relaxing (massage rituals), and spiritual (routines) blends with expressions from martial warfare and construction gear, leveraging terms like shaping, maxxing, building, crunching, curling, and (bench) pressing. These terms define belief systems that involve investing time, money, renunciation, discipline, asceticism, etc. towards a higher self in the relentless battle of daily life.

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Various practices of body cult are being observed: the commodification of ancient culture’s spiritual and physical techniques, institutionalized and (YouTube-lead) homemade muscle-building and body-shaping, the instrumentalization of body cult in fascist regimes, and the significance of fetish and pain.

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Enormous overflows of information, opinions, and impressions, combined with the necessity for constant and fast decision-making, creates an urge for structure, rules, and habits to compensate for (online) brain overload. In constant fear of missing out on opportunities, relationships, networking, fun, and not being the best version of ourselves due to dizzying high expectations, our minds become fragile, as we continuously self-surveil our looks and actions - reflected in Fatima's mirrored tools.