SWARM
This exhibition aims to explore a phenomenon developing within young women in the past 6 years. Nicknamed "metamorphosis", this virus transforms affected bodies into unthinking, unfeeling insectoids.
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"Before our eyes, girls were turning into insects. The wings we thought so beautiful became the most concerning. At first we thought their bodies were betraying their mind, but we realized it was their mind betraying their bodies. A virus driving their transformation, defined by the pollution of their purity. There was nothing to do aside from clipping their wings".
The nature of this condition has made accurate psychological research on individuals affected near impossible. Anecdotal reports cite increased agression from those transformed, but data has only ever been collected from subjects that were restrained by guardians or medical professionals. It is unclear how much control any individual with this condition has over their own actions. At the peak of the outbreak, common consensus was that the only "cure" was to stop the virus as soon as it appeared.
They ended up no longer human. It's a less cruel fate than if we were to let them fester as insects. The first step is to render them flightless. Once the infection starts, it takes over their mind. Their instincts will lead them away from you. The next is to preserve their beauty for as long as you can, in the place of the daughter it claimed.
Legislature legalizing the "merciful" euthanization of those affected was rapidly established after popular consensus was that these individuals are too dangerous to be kept alive. This evolved into a process and industry colloquially known as "pinning", in which the individual is taxidermied much like a natural insect. There is a private collector market for these parts, but these bodies are largely left in the hands of their families.
Transcript: [Location, time.] United States case 38 of a phenomenon targeting young girls has been reported in [location]. The president has made a statement on the condition, giving his "deepest condolences to those who have lost their daughters to their deals with the devil". This reflects a popular theory in certain online circles that these young women obtain theirmetamorphosis through a supernatural contract with a stranger reffered to as "the Glassman". There is currently no apparent cause of "metamorphosis" but parents are advised to keep their daughters away from wooded areas or from unsupervised interaction.Madam President has also promised to increase the age of majority from 18 to 25 to those affected, reflecting the volatile mental state of girls struggling with their transformations. "I believe that there's still a woman inside, but we need time and research to discover how to get her out. For now, I trust the parents of these poor girls to make the right decision regarding their lives."
The Glassman, an urban legend of sorts, has been reported making contracts with young women preceding a metamorphosis. Some say he is indifferent to their existence, others claim he intentionally makes this pact to later use their bodies as living weapons. No concrete proof of him exists.
Vandalized poster advising the keeping ofgirls away from the woods (rewrite later). It is believed that some of these "women" join secluded communities of other metamorphsed.If so, they must be appropriately put to rest before they infect anyone else.