“For the vast majority of people, work offers no meaning, fulfillment or redemption – It is simply something to pay the bills.”
– Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work, Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams.
Work can be framed in contrast to leisure when examining the unseen labour that lurks beneath the surface of lifestyle experiences and orchestrated events. Mega art fairs, blockbuster exhibitions and biennales, along with their long list of public programs, have become feats of administration rather than art.
Privileged access is critical to understanding the art experience economy; experiences have come to frame transactions within the global contemporary art market. One does not merely purchase artworks but consumes the art lifestyle.
Through exercises in cultural branding, the aesthetic of these environments suggests cultural elitism and wealth, where V.I.P. areas appear similar to high-end fashion stores and furniture showrooms. Using sculptural installation, V.V.V.V.V.I.P. critiques the ways in which this architectural glamour has been reinserted into home décor, where visual merchandising, corporate branding, art, and ubiquitous luxury have become indistinguishable.
>>>
Marilyn Schneider is a Sydney based artist whose practice is concerned with the visual language of architectural facades, the surfaces and logos in commercial spaces and what they reveal about our culture. In previous projects she has analysed the framework of spaces such as trade fairs, hollywood houses, reality TV, shopping malls and luxury hotels.
Schneider’s sculptural installations are aligned with the commercial theming and structure of her chosen sites. Using synthetic and industrial materials, her works imitate the manufacturing methods of high capitalism, such as laser cutting, powder coating and digital printing. Isolated in the gallery space, these manipulated forms take on a new meaning that communicates the deceptive and seductive nature of corporate architecture.
For more on this artist / www.marilynschneider.com
Metro Arts Gallery 2 / Level 2
This exhibition is presented by FAKE estate as the 2016 Metro Arts ARI in Residence.
Opening Event / 24 February 2016, 6pm
Critical Brunch / 12 March 2016, 2pm
