How Did Mud Get Everywhere?

The New York Times: Balenciaga’s spring 2023 show, which took place this October at a darkened convention center on the outskirts of Paris, was a complete mess. To match the collection’s aggressive, almost militaristic severity — a multipocket combat jacket, graffitied hoodies, a dress made entirely from the brand’s repurposed leather City bags — the Spanish artist Santiago Sierra hauled over 9,700 cubic feet of dank earth into the venue to create troughs through which models plodded, their clothes gathering sludge with each step.