AlteredBarbie 2013 is in its 11th year and is taking place in the mission at Shotwell 50 Inc., 50 Shotwell Street, San Francisco.

Barbie and Ken icons who represent modernity fitting for plastic dolls have everything a person could desire. They have multiple careers, vacations, the man, the woman, the divorce, the family, the cars, the houses, all that stuff, all those outfits, all those shoes! and the time and money to buy it all. It is a corporate forced lifestyle based on having things and accomplishments. This is grotesque in all its perfect superficiality and yet Barbie (& Ken) are beautiful and ideals we all secretly try to emulate. These icons are so powerful they strike a chord with almost every little girl, boy, woman and man in the world regardless of economic status or color.