Economics the Blockbuster: It's Not Business as Usual
30 Jun-22 Oct 2023
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Taking place at the Whitworth, Manchester.
How can artists reimagine and disrupt conventional ideas of value, ownership, trade and economy?
How might artists inspire us to practice our economic life more equitably, radically and sustainably?
Economics the Blockbuster presents a selection of extraordinary art projects that operate as real world economic systems. Together they propose new ways of ‘doing business’, driven by the needs and concerns of the communities in which they are created.
Economy includes many things, from the exchange of gifts to caring for others, building trust and sustaining the environment. It happens not only in factories, shops or offices, but in parks, on the streets and in museums. Building on the Whitworth’s on-going commitment to being a useful museum driven by a civic purpose, this project addresses economics as a social and financial set of relations that we all take part in.
From a community-led drinks company to an art collective reclaiming plantation land, the exhibition includes new artist commissions, merchandise with a purpose, business collaborations and a live programme.
Responding directly to the failures and limits of current systems, Economics the Blockbuster creates ideas for other ways of being.
This exhibition is free entry, no ticket is required