Gold Leaf Powder 

Editor: Here we have Gold Leaf Powder manufactured by Baer Brothers. It has a label that really reminds me of old packaging. What strikes you about this seemingly simple object? Curator: I see this as a commentary on value and labor. The gold, historically a symbol of wealth and power, is here presented as a mass-produced commodity. Who benefits from this gold? Who mines it, who processes it, and who ultimately profits from its use in art? Editor: So, you're thinking about the socio-economic implications behind the material itself? Curator: Precisely. It forces us to consider the global networks of extraction and production that underpin even the most seemingly innocuous art supplies. What is the true cost of 'gold'? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about! It’s more than just a pretty powder. Curator: Indeed. It's a potent symbol of inequality and exploitation, masked by its glittering allure.