Fit for Purpose (Retail Fantasy)

The installation Fit for Purpose by Zurich-based artist Valentina Stieger consists of table legs and tabletops made of different materials. At its heart is a play on the functionality of elements that make up the furniture, which, depending on the situation at hand, can be put together in a variety of ways – all in accordance with the neoliberal dictate of flexibility: fit for purpose. The installation reflects the perfect, depersonalized surfaces that characterize everyday design and sheds light on how these influence our awareness. In her work, Valentina Stieger is also concerned with a reinterpretation of the individual elements in the context of traditional conventions of art and exhibitions; she engages with the conventions of how we use and regard objects – for example, at the tipping point where an object changes from an exhibit to a (presentation) display. Fit for Purpose was shown at Kunsthalle Basel in 2014 and Kunsthaus Glarus in 2015. The present installation expands on the previous shows and takes into account local and topical aspects of the Transactions exhibition.