Re-fresh: The Delusion of Domestic Air

Lealla Solomon, Karolina Dohnalkova

Cleaning is one of the biggest lies of the modern era—one that has turned household management into an economy of experts by closely associating medical advancements and sterilization practices with the idea of a normative family. The development of cleaning products in the 20th century, along with the advent of mass media and the credit card economy, promoted a standard of uniformly sanitized indoor spaces, sealed and separated from the outdoors.
Nowadays, keeping our homes clean has become an inevitable part of our existence. A neat, tidy, and thoroughly disinfected home is the norm. It is the only life we know. Squeaky-clean homes are featured on Instagram and admired by guests at dinner parties. Everyone buys cleaning products and vacuum cleaners (including robotic ones) and washes heaps of laundry each week. The standard is deeply ingrained in our societal norms.
This never-ending disinfection cycle demands immense resources—time, effort, and money—all controlled by the companies that make and market our cleaning products. Excessive use of these products is bad for our health and bad for our planet, yet the cleaning fever persists.
Why is this standard of cleanliness so important to us? Why does humanity choose to use these cleaning agents? Is it because they are so accessible? So heavily advertised? It is about our need to shield ourselves from the threats of the world that lies outside our door? Or maybe we just don’t want to be seen as outliers?

The truth about the world of cleaning comes to light in a display of unnecessary rituals: floor washing, window cleaning, air purification, dusting, and, of course, the endless spraying of artificial fragrances from cleaning products.
The air machine expands and contracts to the rhythm of household cleaning, creating a symphony of disinfection and emphasizing the immensity of the resources required to sustain modern-day cleaning routines. The exhibition encourages visitors to wander around, touch the exhibits, and sniff them.