Beyond what critics see as the obvious ludicrousness of these trends — does a fridge really need “decoration”?
Anyone who is curious about the absurd lengths to which the social media-fuelled pursuit of beauty can be taken, only needs to look at two recent trends. The first is the so-called airport tray trend, which involves the artful “curation” of one’s possessions — sunglasses, watch, bag etc, besides a boarding pass and/or passport — on a plastic airport tray. The second is “fridgescaping”, in which, besides the usual eggs, milk, butter etc, one places decorative items like flower vases and photo frames inside a refrigerator. If photos of these two trends have been lapped up by users and brand marketing departments — publishing house Faber, for example, has used the airport tray trend to pitch its season’s reads — they’ve also caused many to ask how much is too much, when it comes to the relentless glamourisation of the banal.
Beyond what critics see as the obvious ludicrousness of these trends — does a fridge really need “decoration”? — they’re also marked by a troubling prioritisation of social media validation over everything else. The airport tray trend, in particular, may seem inconsiderate of other people. Is an airport security line, one of the most patience-testing aspects of travel, really the place to take one’s own time to arrange objects for a photo? For harried airport staff and co-passengers, it is just one more irritant, adding further friction to an already irksome experience.
It could be argued, however, that there is something valiant about trying to make room for beauty in the banal, boring or anxiety-inducing. Going through airport security or opening one’s fridge need not involve a course in art appreciation, but what is wrong with making the experience, even if only for a moment, a little more aesthetically pleasing? There is much about the world today that is unpleasant and ugly: Coming across a stranger’s photo of a prettified airport tray in the bottomless scroll of one’s social media feed could offer a spot of relief.
