The Code of Commodification
In this work, the art is transformed into the shape of a chair — a symbol of finality, function, and consumption. It is a deliberate act of flattening, of making art sit down, be still, be useful. This piece critiques the pervasive commodification of art in the neoliberal age, where creative expression is increasingly measured not by its emotional or intellectual impact, but by its market value, social media performance, or viral potential.
In the neoliberal age, art is no longer judged on its capacity to challenge, provoke, or connect — but on its ability to perform. Its value is dictated by what it can generate: money, attention, data. A painting is a product. The chair represents how art is often expected to be made comfortable, palatable, and commercially viable.
In a society conditioned to equate worth with profitability, the question arises: what becomes of art that doesn’t sell? What becomes of artists who refuse to play the game? But we are already in the chair. Even this piece, in its resistance, risks being consumed as just another clever object in the market of ideas.
The commodification of art is not something we can escape.
