Bob Demper: In Tall Buildings
In Tall Buildings is an exhibition that examines the hidden powers that govern many parts of our lives.
Financial power is a concept that becomes more intangible with each attempt to understand it, and is often hidden in tall buildings. Through extensive research into the development of global capitalism, stock markets and large corporations, artist/filmmaker Bob Demper seeks to understand its impact on our existence. Demper looks at how the risk taken by the corporate world is almost always a public risk, and how this relentless pursuit of growth has led to polarisation, confusion and a lack of understanding of what governs our everyday lives.
At 1646, audiences can walk through carefully crafted film sets. Spaces that make us feel the tension between these opaque financial worlds and our private space, where we find ourselves on the edge of dreams and reality.
The exhibition In Tall Buildings is part of the long-term feature film project 5000 Miles that Demper has been working on for the past few years. It is a film that is un-traditionally made in small parts, with each exhibition building on the larger narrative. The main character, Donny works at a large asset manager company. Inspired on a real life example, this company uses an electronic system that manages almost a tenth of the world鈥檚 wealth. By using complex algorithms, data based on past events and often very personal information from millions of people, it predicts market risks and moves money from its clients accordingly, keeping the financial market stable. 鈥淚n such a world, real change is currently impossible because an algorithm predicts and corrects any change or instability,鈥� says Demper. This means that if we ever want real social and political change, this system will need radical change.
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In Tall Buildings is an exhibition that examines the hidden powers that govern many parts of our lives.
Financial power is a concept that becomes more intangible with each attempt to understand it, and is often hidden in tall buildings. Through extensive research into the development of global capitalism, stock markets and large corporations, artist/filmmaker Bob Demper seeks to understand its impact on our existence. Demper looks at how the risk taken by the corporate world is almost always a public risk, and how this relentless pursuit of growth has led to polarisation, confusion and a lack of understanding of what governs our everyday lives.
At 1646, audiences can walk through carefully crafted film sets. Spaces that make us feel the tension between these opaque financial worlds and our private space, where we find ourselves on the edge of dreams and reality.
The exhibition In Tall Buildings is part of the long-term feature film project 5000 Miles that Demper has been working on for the past few years. It is a film that is un-traditionally made in small parts, with each exhibition building on the larger narrative. The main character, Donny works at a large asset manager company. Inspired on a real life example, this company uses an electronic system that manages almost a tenth of the world鈥檚 wealth. By using complex algorithms, data based on past events and often very personal information from millions of people, it predicts market risks and moves money from its clients accordingly, keeping the financial market stable. 鈥淚n such a world, real change is currently impossible because an algorithm predicts and corrects any change or instability,鈥� says Demper. This means that if we ever want real social and political change, this system will need radical change.
Artists on show
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鈥淏ob Demper鈥檚 practice and research is increasingly relevant as large corporations grow in power, while governments become fnancially dependent on them and struggle to regulate their infuence.
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