Bart Hess explores the fields of photography, fashion, painting and textile design. He has a pioneering approach and his designs are often quite futuristic. He works more or less directly on the body, distorting and sometimes alienating it, effects which may make the viewer feel quite uncomfortable. This involves coating the body with materials that seem to be actually growing on the skin; slime, foam, pins, latex or wax, as in the Slime Dress he designed for Lady Gaga. Hess offers us a glimpse into a future in which we will dress differently. Experiments are crucial when developing new materials or textures and the implementation of unusual materials is essential. What may now seem to be a discrepancy between expectation and reality could eventually lead to interesting developments. Hess designed the Pins and Needles installation, after being commissioned by the Centraal Museum, for the ARRRGH! Monsters in de mode exhibition in 2013. He created a latex suit covered in thousands of metal chains, pins and strong magnets which 'glue' together. Despite the hard material, the organic forms are reminiscent of moss or a clump of tree roots.