PSYCHE 16

The video installation Psyche 16 draws parallels between the hypothetical calculations of space resources and the complex economic mechanisms of the art market. Equipped with futuristic measuring tools, two appraisers determine the value of artworks that are part of an exhibition in an abandoned factory hall. Once they have fully determined the value of all objects, the extraction of “art resources” begins. What remains is an empty factory hall. All artworks are mined.

The title of the video installation is derived from the real existing asteroid 16 Psyche, whose metallic deposits are estimated to be over 10 quintillion dollars. The sheer magnitude of this value, although purely fictional due to the exclusion of dynamics of supply and demand, further fuels the development of private Start-ups specialized in space resource extraction.

With a wink, the video installation seemingly questions rational economic logics and reveals the often illusory nature of capitalist analytical methods.