Sarah Hobbs and Hannah Israel investigate marks of human presence by observing how different cultures function throughout history. There is an intrinsic connection between how we make history, think, and leave our mark on the world.
Service Merchandise contemplates the way our culture memorializes the act of presenting objects as commodities and gifts to represent a moment of desire. The installation is saturated with images of objects on the walls, large obscure sculptures rotating in the middle of the space, and in the background, a presence of muzak brings together a phantasmagoria showcase. Israel and Hobbs amplify the absurdity of our culture’s obsession with objects by setting a hyper-real display under black light creating an illusion and deceptive appearances.
