Debuting September 4–6 at Satellite Gallery on New York’s Lower East Side, an eight-foot-tall mountain of dirty dishes is set to turn domestic friction into high art. Commissioned by Paired and created by multidisciplinary artist Ioana Aron, Our Dirty Dishes: Echoes of the Everyday is a playful (and slightly chaotic) reminder that even the strongest couples battle over mundane chores.

Turning domestic friction into high art

Stacked precariously high with plates, pots, and utensils spilling from an oversized kitchen sink, this sculpture captures the emotional residue that quietly builds in relationships, turning minor annoyances into mountains of resentment.

“It’s an Eiffel Tower of domestic resentment”, says Kevin Shanahan, CEO of Paired. “A Leaning Tower of Plates, Pots and Passive Aggression. From dirty dishes to hogging the bathroom, we all test our partners’ patience. This sculpture reminds us that we can all do better.” 

Artist Ioana Aron explains:  “I want my art to remind people that their unwashed dishes, the note on the refrigerator, and the wine stains on the carpet are all art – and more. Seen together, they reflect our privacy: a mirror of our inner lives.”

The sculpture’s immersive sound installation brings the theme closer to home. Visitors will hear anonymous voice recordings from real couples, submitted through Paired, sharing their candid experiences of mental load, emotional labor, and domestic friction.

You're not alone: Chore Wars by the numbers

If this sounds all too relatable, you're not alone:

According to a new poll of 1,209 Paired users, nearly two-thirds (65%) say that tension over household chores leaves them feeling less in the mood for sex, and almost one in five (18%) have even thought about breaking up over chores.

“The push and pull of two worlds merging into one is often most noticeable through the mundane – dirty dishes left too long, laundry left unfolded,” says Aly Bullock, Paired’s Head of Relationships and a leading relationship coach.  

“When these moments of friction go unresolved, a partnership can suddenly feel very lonely. This new sculpture is a reminder to heed such moments and treat them with care.”

Curated by Sáng Huynh of women-founded art organization The Art Vacancy, the sculpture anchors a wider exhibition of Aron’s work, exploring how intimacy and tension are quietly built and dismantled in domestic spaces.

The show also features Aron's earlier piece, Our Dirty Bedroom (2023), co-created with her then-partner Brice Aparicio—an equally playful look at how shared spaces become emotional battlegrounds and sanctuaries.

A tidier way forward

Paired, of course, offers a gentler (and tidier) way to navigate these relationship moments through daily conversation prompts, weekly check-ins, games, and expert-backed advice. Because while love might be messy, your relationship doesn’t have to be. 

OUR DIRTY DISHES: ECHOES OF THE EVERYDAY
September 4–6, 2025 | Satellite Gallery, 279 Broome Street, NY 10002
Artworks by Ioana Aron | Commissioned by Paired | Curated by Sáng Huynh | Presented by The Art Vacancy