Hypothetical Value (2024)
Film Essay
Film Essay
This essay film focuses on investigating the relationship between space and the perceived value of individuals or groups within society. This involves exploring the discourse surrounding the attachment to money and uncovering the hidden power dynamics inherent in current monetary flows through a set of hypotheses on alternative economies in a barter system.
The artist initiated the first exchange of her painting for another object and continued exchanging to manifest the incongruity between measurable value in numerical form and hypothetical value that cannot be clearly quantified in a barter system and gift economy, whether in the realm of arts, poetic expression, time, or temporal experiences.
356 sq.m.
Acrylic painting was exchanged for
920 characters
172 words
of poem was exchanged for
Acrylic painting was exchanged for
920 characters
172 words
of poem was exchanged for
26:21 minutes
conversation at Thai grocery was exchanged for
conversation at Thai grocery was exchanged for
5541 miles
Thai Lottery footage by Timpika from Thailand
Thai Lottery footage by Timpika from Thailand
What's the value in the hypothetical world?
Currency is such a ubiquitous aspect of modern life that we often overlook its existence and inherent characteristics. We believe money possesses the authority to establish legal tender, creating stability, and can be precisely quantified, these numerical representations contribute to a discourse that measures social status. This cycle becomes a perpetual trap, where the pursuit of wealth intensifies rather than transcending it. As demand increases, the complexities of this cycleexpand, leading us to work harder, invest, borrow, and accumulate more debt. In this process, we often lose sight of the fundamental questions: Do we genuinely comprehend the essence and nature of money? What is its intrinsic value? And does something devoid of numerical measurement or monetary value still hold importance and valuable?
When the medium of exchange emerged, the subsequent question arose: What determines the capability to serve as that intermediary? And who holds the authority to organize it? This illustrates that these intermediaries do not exist independently. Upon creation and widespread use, they acquire layers of power and become superimposed with beliefs, values, and rules, forming what is referred to as "discursive formation.” This term defines a system of thought and a framework for social values. In modern society, people are shaped by discourse.
