Romain Mader

Get the Look

"As night draped its veil over the city, I curled up in bed, bathed in the glow of my laptop screen. It had become something of a ritual - the nocturnal quest for that elusive dopamine rush, an ephemeral escape from the monotony of reality. My cursor danced across the screen, making its way through an infinite maze of websites, each promising a glimpse into a world of possibilities.

But it was on one site in particular that I stumbled upon something intriguing - a digital realm where algorithms reigned supreme, dictating clothing choices with disturbing precision. “Get the Look! “proclaimed the banner, inviting me into its virtual embrace. With one click, I plunged headlong into a whirlwind of personalized recommendations, each outfit a carefully selected reflection of my online existence. The slogans sounded like distant whispers in the recesses of my mind. “Shop now, thank us later,” they teased, their seductive appeal tinged with the promise of instant gratification. And so I found myself trapped in a web of temptations, each click propelling me deeper into the abyss of consumerism."
Extract from Get the Look, written by Romain Mader

How do algorithms today affect our decision making process?

Within Get the Look, Romain Mader examines the role of the clothing industry through marketing tools, and how they influence us to consume. 

The clothes worn for the photos were recommendations from online boutiques, influenced by Mader and his partner’s browsing activity.

Combined with other marketing tools, these recommendations lead them into a continuous cycle of over-consumption, encouraging us to buy and replace items more frequently. For each image, Mader created a composition comprising pieces of clothing and accessories that have been discarded as unusable.

After taking the images, clothes were then sent back to the retailers. 

Get the Look 
Edition of 300 
103 Pages
Softcover
90 x 175 mm, portrait
ISBN 978-1-917282-02-4

About the Artist
Romain Mader (b.1988) is a Swiss artist who explores themes of love, loneliness, and human behaviour through fictional narratives. His visual storytelling, often featuring himself as the performer, is expressed in photography and video. Mader’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at Tate Modern in London, FOAM Amsterdam, Paris Photo, and OCAT Shanghai. He holds an MFA from Zurich University of the Arts and a Bachelor's in Photography from ECAL. 

Notable achievements include winning the 2017 FOAM Paul Huf Award and residencies in Paris, Spain, and Hong Kong. In 2023, he received the Vaud Photographic Survey grant.

The book also includes an essay by curator and arts writer, Théo-Mario Coppola.

With the support of the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, the State of Vaud and the foundation Erna and Curt Burgauer.