Duty-Free Art 2016

This is Hito Steyerl’s installation, “Duty-Free Art”. It is comprised of various images and objects arranged in a way that questions the circulation and value of art in a globalized world. I am struck by the arrangement of the elements: the green screens, the charts, and the black and white images. These screens have a digital feeling, they are so clean and pure in their colour, yet they are so physical here. It's like the artist is thinking about the way we create and consume images. The whole installation has a strange feeling to it. It reminds me a bit of early conceptual art, in that it feels very stagey or theatrical. It is like the set for something about to happen. Overall, Steyerl prompts us to consider the conditions under which art is produced, circulated, and valued, inviting us to reflect on art's role in shaping our perceptions and experiences. Isn't it great when art asks more questions than it answers?