The factory in Střekov district has been influencing the structure of the city and the quality of its inhabitants lifes for over a hundred years both, in positive and negative way. The industrial production of fruit juices, soaps, toothpastes and edible fats extends far beyond the city limits. Kernel oil, which is one of the main components of hygienic products, was imported to Ústí nad Labem mainly via the Netherlands from colonized countries. Cultivation of this raw material means for local economics and the ecological and social structures a heavy load of global significance. Against the backdrop of political and technological changes and declining production, we are therefore currently returning to thinking about ecological sustainability, domestic economy and overall impact of industrial production on the shape of society. The artist Ana de Almeida incorporated these circumstances into her artwork by choosing the archival material. A fundamental inversion can be found in the work — the soaps were produced inside the factory in Střekov (the main production item). However, Ana de Almeida presents the factory in artifacts with all its social, architectural and historical aspects inside soaps.
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