Necro Jacket

2017

Kelp, foraged fishing line.

Collaboration with Samantha Canovas (Brazil)

Project developed during the NES artist residency in Skagaströnd, Iceland.

Based on the Icelandic myth of the nábrók (or Necro Pants) in which one can make a deal with a living man to use the skin of his legs to create pants, by flaying the corpse from the waist down. A coin must be stolen from a poor widow and placed in the scrotum of the pants along with the rune of nábrókarstafur written on a piece of paper. Consequently the coin will draw money into the scrotum so it will never be empty, as long as the original coin is not removed. To ensure salvation the owner has to convince someone else to overtake the pants and step into each leg as soon as he gets out of it. The necropants will thus keep the money-gathering nature for generations.

Sigurður, Atlason (14 November 2005). "Stave for Necropants". Strandagaldur, Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft.