Petra Svoboda - The Commodification of Imagination

Posted: 18 Jul 2011

The concept of The Commodification of Imagination relates to the oft-held desire to consume and enjoy foreign products and ideas. It can also pertain to the adaptation of foreign technology and practices. The sculptures Gokko-Neko (Make Believe Cat) and Gokko-Inu (Make Believe Dog) reference Japanese popular culture, examine the commodification of imagination and the influence of this in street art and design.

Petra Svoboda’s practice explores the rising popularity of anime, Manga, designer toys, and computer games, and how they propel a powerful merchandising machine which generates superfluous amounts of objects often marketed as “collectable”.  The inflatable form is presented as a metaphor for the superficial lightness of commercial merchandising. The transformed inflatable object also situates itself firmly in the realm of illusion and chimera, connecting itself with the fantasy genre of computer games, animation, and film. There is not only an allusion to play throughout the installation, but also a play on the senses through the apparent metamorphosis of the original plastic objects.

Now showing at Artereal Gallery, 747 Darling Street Rozelle, 6 - 30 July

Click here for further information on Artereal Gallery .