Post Capitalistic Auction (PCA) is a performance but is also an actual and alternative kind of art auction. PCA questions the impact of neoliberalism on the art world and how we value artworks. I ask why money determines everything. The artists, artworks, and the biddings are all real, and so are the transactions. All the actions and reactions, dialogues, and consequences are also real. The twist is that bidders are invited to make offers not only with money, but that understanding, opportunity, discursive, and any kind of exchange are equally introduced as bidding currencies. All bids are placed via specially designed software. The artists are present at the auction in person so that they might personally decide who will win their artworks. A panel representing several aspects of the art world ecology is also in attendance to offer advice and create confrontation among themselves.
This project was planned as a long-term, ongoing series to be recreated and represented in various countries, aiming to investigate differing social and art economies and ecologies. For each edition, I collaborated with local curators, artists, panelists, auctioneers, lawyers, and software programmers. Each version follows the same concept and framework but with unique contents and results. Since its premiere, and wherever it has been performed, it has developed like an organic ecosystem that has been absorbing and reflecting the transformation of the art world and truly mirrors local contexts and art ecologies.
The Yokohama edition was the second edition of PCA, and presented by Tokyo Performing Art Meetings. This edition features the deep collaboration of technology and art in Japanese society. For example, bio-art and brain-decoded technology-engaged art were among the auctioned artworks. The participants are also a mixture of performing arts and visual arts. This edition reached more than 20000 audience including onsite and online, and was covered by NIKKEI - the largest financial newspaper in the world.
Participating artists: Daito Manabe, Kenjiro Okazaki, Tim Etchells, BCL group, Chelfitsch
Panelists: Aomi Okabe, Daisuke Miyatsu, Kei Wakabayashi, Yohei Kurose
N.B. The viewing link is for the application reference. Higher resolution for this edition's video documentation is available for exhibition and collection.
