1. ’The Boundary of Capitalism’ —A New Notion to Explore

 

 

My primary concern is with capitalism. Predominantly, it is defined as an economic system in which private actors own and control property under their interests, and where demand and supply freely set prices in markets to serve society's best interests (Scott, 2006). Humans create these profit-oriented social mechanisms, but conversely, they also shape how human lives and society function.

 

Imagine an immense and alluring machinery, one where humanity operates ceaselessly, harnessing resources and converting them into energy. These resources span beyond just the external, encompassing even the essence of human existence itself. It's a guiding force propelling our species forward, yet its relentless pace feels almost uncontrollable. Contemplating this, I can't help but ponder: Are these resources endless? What does this unending progress mean for our future, for humanity itself?

 

Perhaps these answers lie obscured in a distant horizon. Yet, questioning this paradigm offers a lens for introspection, which is a crucial tool for our collective advancement. Such introspection is a catalyst, fostering a critical evaluation of ourselves, enriching not only the humans’ development but also the whole society.”

 

In 'Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins' (Tsing, 2017), the captivating narrative unfolds, detailing the evolution of matsutake mushrooms—a rarity defying large-scale industrial production—into a commodity propelled by capital's relentless pursuit. Such transformation, from the periphery (nature) to the heart of commerce inspires me with a notion of 'capitalism's boundaries’ which I think is a pivotal juncture marking the direct intersection of capitalism with natural resources.

 

These 'boundaries' often elude the gaze of people who are immersed in regular life, and it is usually overshadowed by the taken-for-granted elements of daily life. As an art practitioner, I've been drawn to exploring these ‘boundaries’ and delving into observation and research. In summary, that’s my current attempt to form my core research direction which is to explore the boundary of capitalism.

 

 

2. What Would the World Be Like Outside Capitalism? A Sight from the Research on Hippies 

 

 

During my research, there is a historical movement that shares a similar idea of escaping from capitalism/or its manipulative power which is the Hippie. it refers to someone who belonged to a countercultural movement opposing the societal norms of mainstream American life in the 1960s and 1970s (Moretta, 2017). Originally, Many Hippies originated from wealthy families who abandoned the comforts of life. They had enjoyed the comforts of middle-class life and therefore rebelled against a life that was comfortable but stifled creativity. They were the ones who could see the flaws in mainstream culture under the running of capitalistic society and criticize it.

 

According to Roszak(1995), He believed that as long as such capitalistic ideology controlled society, the grip of technology and expert domination would persist. Hippies saw America as suffocating under conventions, suppressing individuality, and restraining freedom. They advocated escaping societal connections to avoid a dead end. To rebel against the technologically advanced yet spiritually stifling society, they proposed "Back to Prehistory" for spiritual strength.

 

I think their hope of escaping from mainstream society and leading an unrestrained life can recover the primitive emotions and cultural creativity lost in the modern rational society. It resists the stifling of human nature by modern society and pursues cultural transcendence, spiritual emancipation, and renewal of their state of being.

 

The Hippie movement of the '60s was a resistance to capitalism and materialism that stirred the zeitgeist. I was struck by such massive resistance to dominant ideas such as capitalism, control and war. In contemporary society, I am curious about how to fight against forces that are invisibly manipulative and untouchable. While conformity seems more likely to be materially rewarding, I want to explore the elements of nature that are not incorporated into the capitalist machine. I miss natural sensations and primal impulses and believe that reclaiming these may be a part of our legacy as human beings.

 

 

3. The Concern between Nature and Humans. Research on Anthropocene & Capitalocene

 

 

Anthropocene can be understood as the “age of men’’, in which human beings have caused effect large-scale changes to the atmosphere, soil, mineral composition, species distribution, climate, and other aspects of the living environment on the plant (Arons, 2023). The word appears because it is an important concept which also related to the relationship between humans and nature. However, from a macro perspective, nature is shaped constantly under the long history of capitalist-colonialist economic relations that have historically forced many aspects of nature and humans into providing poorly compensated labour for capital accumulation (Moore, 2016). Therefore, the new noun “Capitalocene” appeared and more accurately described such economic relations or socioeconomic systems that enabled the transformation of the earth through the exploitation of “cheap” natural and human resources (Arons, 2023). 

 

For my work instead of being ecosystem-related, I’m more interested in what is natural, what is anthropogenic, and the boundary between them and the point the natural transformed into anthropic. Because the boundary is changing and becomes blurry during the contently expanded capitalism. 

 

 

4. For my Current Project

 

​

To find such boundaries, and distinguish the natural and anthropic. My project in Unit One chose the construction site which I think is exactly located in such a blurry boundary. On the one hand, such a constructive activity consists of an accumulation of human resources which requires an amount of human labour to build. On the other hand, to launch such activity by the higher authority(commercial/governmental). In addition, the motivation to launch it and the specific plan, location selection, schedule, and purpose of it result from the capitalistic ideology. Similarly, the content that is chosen to put on the fence is also a result of it. Such a site can be seen as intertwined by anthropic decisions and the passively changed natural environment. 

 

The more direct cornerstone of my current project is the ironic relationship between iconic nature and the hidden changing nature. However, after the WIP show, I found some possible ways to develop it. The first is about size, I used three pieces of metal board in the size 30 x 50 cm. Even the surface of the metal boards has been bent which is to imitate the shape of the fence outside the construction site. However, without the textual explanation, it is hard for the audience to associate it with the construction fence. 

 

The second is about the possible development of the concept. During the research, Foucault and Miskowiec (1986) brought up the concept of Utopias and Heterotopias could be the starting point for further research. According to Foucault and Miskowiec (1986), Utopia refers to unreal spaces that are somehow related to the real space of Society, while Heterotopias refers to spaces that exist outside the usual societal, cultural or physical arrangement. These spaces may be physical or conceptual.

 

In my case, the construction site could be seen as a Heterotopias which is built under the capitalistic/Social operation. At the same time, the pattern attached to the surface of the fences represents a kind of Utopia or being as an intermediate, ambiguous space. More research on the concept and related artworks in terms of these two concepts is needed. In addition, the item fence could also political debates behind different cultures which is worth researching. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing (2015). MUSHROOM AT THE END OF THE WORLD : on the possibility of life in capitalist ruins. S.L.: Princeton University Pres.

​

Arons, W. (2023). We Should Be Talking about the Capitalocene. TDR, [online] 67(1), pp.35–40. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S1054204322000697.

Foucault, M., & Miskowiec, J. (1986). Of other spaces. diacritics, 16(1), 22-27.

 

John Anthony Moretta (2017). The Hippies a 1960s History. Jefferson, North Carolina Mcfarland & Company, Inc., Publishers.

​

Moore, J.W. (2016). Anthropocene or capitalocene? : nature, history, and the crisis of capitalism. Oakland, Ca: Pm.

​

Roszak, T. (1995). The Making of a Counter Culture : Reflections on the Technocratics Society and Its Youthful Opposition : [with a New introduction]. Berkeley: University of California Press.

​

Scott, B.R. (2006) The Political Economy of capitalism - harvard business school. Available at: https://www.hbs.edu/ris/download.aspx?name=07-037.pdf (Accessed: 22 January 2024).