Alongside the series of sculptures Doris Boerman presents three accompanying texts especially written for this publication: Fashion researcher Femke de Vries wrote an essay about self-design as a mass cultural practice, celebrities as designed surfaces and strategies of disclosure to restore trust in this ‘unreal’ system. The poem by lesbian artist, LGBTQIA+ activist and poet Joëlle Sambi compares the black woman’s skull to a battlefield on which normative and repressive standards are a constant battle to fight against whilst remaining proud and strong. Finally, the essay by visual artist and writer Timmy van Zoelen stages a dance around Doris’ sculptures by way of the curvature of her spinal column; taking the backbone for a spin in a series of playful references. These contributions respond to the series of sculptures with a wide range of topics and create a relevant network for further deliberation.