Belanciege, mission accomplished 
by Hito Steyerl 

German Artist Hito Steyerl made this installation together with Miloš Trakilović and Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze. A round blue small stage (based on the blue catwalk of Balenciaga) with 3 video screens showing the fashion work they're reflecting on, and their lecture performance. In this 45 minutes video, they explain their theory about how fashion, media  & politics endlessly influence each other. “The meaning, content, and success of a brand are created by users themselves, their unpaid labor leading to a new model of exploitation that is hard to track, and particularly tricky to stop.” She emphasizes her story with the meme of Bernie Sanders’( his appearance in the late-night show when he heard Kanye West’s Nike sneakers were being traded for $11,000.), the iconic Balenciaga-Ikea shopping bag, the Mobius strip, and of course the blue Balenciaga catwalk*. She shows a world of commercialization, speculation, and hacking.   As Trakilović said: “Pictures become frames or containers for invisible trails of information and the source material for rampant commodification.” With this installation, she keeps the circle going, but most of all adding a deeper meaning to it: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

​

* A bit more background about the bleu Balenciaga catwalk show: Demna Gvasalia (Balenciaga) worked together with artist Niklas Bildsten Zaar and scientist Sissel Tolaas, for the SS20 catwalk show. Theme: power dressing. They created a circular blue arena based on the EU parliament, chairs, carpets floors, everything was covered in blue. The space didn't only look like power but also smells like it. The scents of blood, money, and petrol were released behind the curtains. The models were non-models, a mix of old, young, architects, gallerists, students, artists, musicians, couriers, engineers, waiters. To re-question the idea of power.  Who has it? Or maybe better; who could, or should have it?: