Yoshinori Niwa
Purchasing My Own Belongings Again in the Downtown, 2011
Three channel video
7’06 min, 9’34 min, 6’06 min
Edition of 5 plus 1 artist's proof
Copyright The Artist
In 1950s America, it is said that a rational sales method called self-service was introduced along with the development of the capitalist economy. Before, the store clerk dominantly managed all...
In 1950s America, it is said that a rational sales method called self-service was introduced along with the development of the capitalist economy. Before, the store clerk dominantly managed all of the products, but with this system the customers were able to pick up the products freely and examine them by themselves, making them more willing to purchase, while at the same time the stores held the risk of the products being stolen. In this film, the artist places household items he has previously acquired –magazines, fruit and groceries– back into the marketplace, where they renew their value and become re-purchasable. The repetitive act of taking his belongings to the cash register to buy what is, through terms of purchase, already his, hones in on the volatility of ownership, value and circulation.