An itinerant participatory art project by Alicja Rogalska. It includes a growing archive of designs for Monument to The Victims of Capitalism proposed by the general public during performances in public spaces and submitted online.
This website presents a selection of drawings and descriptions from the archive, along with animated architectural renderings inspired by selected designs and texts contextualising the various editions of the project.
The project is speculative in its nature – it anticipates the end of the current economic and political regime and encourages exercise in imagination from the perspective of a post-capitalist future.
The first edition of Monument to The Victims of Capitalism was commissioned by SACO05 Antofagasta Contemporary Art Week. The project referred to the history of Chile as the first neoliberal country in the world. Passers by were invited to donate coins, to be melted and used as the physical material for the future monument, and to share their ideas for its shape in a book, in the form of drawings, descriptions or comments.
One Way Ticket, SACO5 Antofagasta Contemporary Art Week, Melbourne Clark Historic Pier, Antofagasta, Chile
18 August – 15 September 2016
Curated by Krzysztof Gutfrański and Dagmara Wyskiel
Performer: Rafaela Castro
Animations: Agnieszka Kołacińska
The following ideas were submitted by members of the public in Antofagasta, Chile, 23 August - 13 September 2016
An eagle bowing its head (on the top)
Wings (on the right)
Victims of capitalism (top left)
''Money in not what makes us human''
Our social class doesn't define us.
``We are all equal``
``We have the same rights``
``Money is not everything. There are more important values``
``Equality``
-victims of the movement (capitalism)
-everything was in exchange for something else. You were what you gave, so to speak.
-a life without profit. Everything should have been fair.
-it was a cruel government (capitalism) because it '' humiliated'' people based on their social class.
-it didn't help people and it took advantage of them.
Big money (on the globe)
Those who haven't woken up yet (on the right)
No more AFD
One idea could be to create a memorial with everything that represents capitalism. I suck at drawing, so I can't represent it with pictures.
some ideas:
-3 people:
A person with obesity with a lot of money in their hands with an expression that gives off aura of ambition and competence.
Another person (a women): slender, tall blond, wearing a lot of make-up and holding in her hands a bunch of bags with designer clothes.
Last person: sitting in a chair, eating junk food, and staring at a small TV screen showing a reality show.
Art is emotions!
Are you willing to do anything for money?
No more capitalism (in the circle)
Art is wonderful for life.
No more AFP (on the top)
The head of the AFP (on the left)
The victim (on the right)
The dignity is worth more.
They/you want money
It could be a person (preferably faceless, so that it represents no specific person) that finds themself in an elevated position with an impressive posture, surrounded be people offering things like their hearts (literally giving the most important thing to this faceless being, which is capitalism). And this entity wouldn't be able to preserve them (the hearts would represent happiness). Of course, the people would also give other offerings, such as their sweat, their tears, their suffering etc.
Good luck! (on the left)
London (bottom right)
King (on the top)
The people (above the huts/houses)
Everyone works for one person who thinks that he or she is better than anyone.
Capitalism (on the top)
Rich (on the left)
Poor (on the right)
The hands represent control over the world, the enslavement of continents by people who think they are better just because they have a superior economy. (The superior economies are represented by the top hand)
A broken crown and scepter.
To create a world of inclusion and equality, devoid of hegemonic hierarchies and dictators. That's how we can achieve employment equality and equal access to food.
''It slips through your fingers like water'' (money)
The people every day (on the left)
Thieves with ties (on the right)
Capitalism
Capitalism (on top)
Thief (on the right)
A lake with fish (on the bottom)
Only God can judge me and NOT the government!
What I'm trying to express is that the tallest part (financial capital) is what dominates over the people, who are represented by the shorter parts. And the globe represents the fact the capitalism is trying to control everything in some way. (England)
No more (on the sign)
Capitalism might some day destroy humanity.
EE UU= The United States
Pockets are emptied to fill this huge wallet.
No more AFP
My memorial shows that hands without handcuffs and with dollar bills are free of any humiliation, etc. In contrast, those handcuffs are humiliated and at risk of all kinds of discrimination.
A person trying to advance in life (on the top)
The leader of capitalism (on the bottom)
I don't think we are victims of capitalism, since we all receive healthcare, a house, food. People who consider themselves victims are simply unsatisfied with what they have. Things are set up like this. Going against the grain in not the solution.
Capitalism (on the top)
Crushed by capitalism.
Abolish money.
Less exploitation, more culture
for our country in general.
At this moment, there are 17 million Chileans.
We are victims of capitalism.
We are many.
Good luck with that.
If the most powerful families in the world donated 1% of their wealth, there would be no need to raise any money from regular people.
I think culture and art go hand in hand. I hope in the future my city changes with the help of the best projects and proposals possible.
Capitalism brings us and will only bring us poverty.
I like being free (in the bubble)
Everything's fine in Chile (on TV)
This is what they show on TV (under the TV)
Capitalism (on the ball)
health, education, culture, the media, politics (feces from the left to right)
We are forced to support something that we don't know...
Capitalism, humanity's number one enemy
Argentina
The people (on the left)
Capitalism (on the right)
Santa Fe, Argentina (on the bottom)
School (on the building)
To build a memorial for the victims of capitalism, we have to show as many people as possible what the system is about. What, you think we're ignorant? Everyone is ignorant. Nevertheless, we should all try to learn.
''The country listens to the people''
We are consumed by money, not happiness.
I am Matias of the LABO
No to capitalism. Yes to solidarity.
Free colleges with good education
Help (on the hand)
Capitalism (on the globe)
No to the exploitation of civilian workers. Equality for all (Drywallers)
Chile lacks of leader.
No more stealing our wealth.
Capitalism and materialism mean the same thing: poverty!
Capitalism affects every person in the world
The struggle of a united people will prevail over capitalism.
Equality for all. The rich have it all because they born with fortunes, and they use their wealth to elevate their family members.
Poor people receive aid from the state or from foundations financed by big corporations. They also have the opportunity to get scholarships, etc.
The middle is slowly disappearing. They work, and they pay for their education and healthcare in taxes, etc.
Our kids are calling for better education, but their calls are left unanswered. Our healthcare system is a national embarrassment.
I'm 43, and I'm working now. They look down on me whenever I ask for a promotion
Ultimately, we are trapped because we have to give our kids a future.
Mothers and fathers leaving their kids on their own as they have to work.
We can't even apply for subsidies for water and electricity
because we don't even qualify under the system.
EQUALITY FOR ALL
Capitalism (on the left) the people (on the right) (first 2 graphs)
Equality (above the graph) the people= citizens (third graph)
-Nowadays, regular people aren't getting their fair share of the pie
-Equality of income, rights, and responsibilities
Politicians are a bunch of thieves who end up with all the money that belongs to the people.
We should stop navel-gazing.
Instead, let's plant trees "Chanar, Algarrobo etc."
Increased awareness about weed also saves lives.
The world lacks happiness.
No horizons.
Copper. Copper. Copper (on the top)
projects...
I want...
I can...!!
I need...!!
I'm more!!
I'm better!! (from left to right)
They want money.
No more abuse!
Credit card
Education for all.
Graduation diploma.
From humble individuals with the soul of the people
Everyday casualties
Of cannibalistic capitalism
All the customers and the workers
a soulless corporate proletariat
All the victims of the state and private industry
Victims of power
Voter sovereignty
Heavy
contributions from misery
We are encouraged by profit
Anonymous exploiters
Slaves of plastic money
Soulless souls
Let's invest
To throw
To vote
In an anonymous
society
"All Chileans"
Boris Durandeau Stegmann
(Let's save the territory from ourselves)
11/09/2016
We are victims of capitalism from the day we are born until the day we die.
It's sad that we only know one mode of living in this word...
Capitalism
Hopefully, some time in the near future the generations to come will live in a changed world.
Capitalism invented countries and borders are our scars.
For a rebellious America!
Capitalism
It is convenient to keep
people idiotized,
enslaved by little
stripes and
communism. They are
not interested in
education, sometimes
you can find some
thinking people...
Even worse, it's a bunch
of idiots crawling,
kissing the master's
ass
We just have to find a way to take advantage of the financial capital. We have to do it knowing what it means and setting aside political ignorance.
We're just feeding off this.
Eating on credit
We are victims of a system we defend...don't be surprised
We are all here
Faces reflect our will to
grow on the basis of
a mismanaged
capital
More equality for the people
We will not support capitalism
Capital has no
fatherland, nor a mother. But it is the
(dom) thing we have
Mrs. Nina
(Bubble over the boat): Money
Capitalism (on the top)
Capitalists (on the right)
There is luck of equality in this world...
A shipment of labour.
Capitalism is overwhelming...
...Nevertheless, each person can describe
whether to be a victim or to confront it!
Support those who fight!
There have always been people who exploit, as long as there were people who left themselves be exploited.
A contemporary
Martin Luther King
in the struggle against the capitalist oppressors
To succeed you must not cry but learn how to be humble.
It may cost us our lives to try...
Southern Punt Arenas (on the left)
Capitalism Central Santiago
North Africa (on the right)
My idea is to use capitalism to help others starting from the bottom.
In my opinion, there should be equality among all human beings on earth, and there should be no longer exist differences based on one's social stats.
Capitalism should be a synonym of social progress and not of the exploitation of the poor by the rich.
Capitalism (on the entity)
The viper dressed up as a fish
Yellow. Blue. Red (on the flag from the top)
Politicians = corruption
We need equality of conditions.
A child in poverty.
An occupation. The slums.
''Gasta'' from Antofagasta means ''spends''.--
The quest for the victims of capitalism is to establish a maximum wage, both for the private sector and for the president of CODELCO.
A memorial in which all the natural resources are represented by the $ symbol.
New.. is fresh the environment
When it's no longer fresh, will you still want to go on?
One goes down, we all go down. Meanwhile, the magnate keeps his wealth
cadenas = chains, paises = countries magnate = magnate (on the graphic)
paises = countries (bottom left)
Capitalism in Chile is supported by the political class,
The wealth of this country is unequally distributed.
We are “middle class,” while making 350,000 pesos! A JOKE!!
I dare the political class to live on 350,000 pesos!!
Let’s hang capitalism!
A bad deal we cannot free ourselves from.
The memorial could be in the form of several hands working together to achieve a common objective.
The northern dessert.
A fighting people.
No more centralism.
Down with corrupt politicians.
Thieves who's selling out the Chilean people. (left page)
Hi everyone (on top)
Long live Antofagasta.
Minibus Tepual
A small blunt.
The pleb.
Some people don't have the same opportunities.
Everyone should have equal opportunity and luck.
Example: everyone should have a house, money, and a job. The world would be a better place.
Here, at this fucking port
this dude is selling flowers
haha
white, blue, red (on the flag)
Clevelands.
It's very beautiful here. Come!
Come on!
For an UNFORGETTABLE evening,
come quick!!!
Mining, following La Portada, is what represents our city's economy to the rest of our country.
Hierro= iron Litio= lithium cobre= copper yodo= iodine plata= silver molibdeno= molybdenum cuarzo= quartz pirita= pyrite
No more capitalism. (on the top)
Thank you. (on the bottom)
Monument.
No more powers that be
No more AFP for Antofagasta and Calama! (on the right)
Mining, exploitation, government (horizontal text)
Estado= the state, pueblo= the people (below)
A memorial, in this particular city, could be a good idea, especially with the title: "From Saturdays"
A memorial for the victims of capitalism should be in the shape of a phallus but upside down.
It's not just about making a romantic apologia but also giving it a new spin.
On each side:
1. A list of the names of the workers who died.
2. A list of the men and women who are currently missing.
3. A list of the women who have been murdered and who have gone missing.
4. A list of factories that exploit child labor.
The memorial should contain straight features that represent the firmness of our convictions.
It should represent strength/a fortress so that it attracts attention and makes people aware of the consequence of capitalism.
In my opinion capitalism has made us very self-centred. We have forgotten the beauty of thinking of other people and doing things for them, leaving our prejudices aside.
The biggest consequence is forgetting the world, our country, family, friends, and even our very own love.
Politicians who are motivated by money and not by basic human decency!
Capitalism (on top)
Politics (on the left)
When capitalism falls
We all suffer because of capitalism.
A man peeling his own skin.
Long live anarchy
Death to capitalism!
The rich and the AFP (on the top)
The middle class
The poor
A way to show that we are victims of capitalism could be a sculpture with a human figure kneeling down and with their hands chained to the ground.
This way, we can express our obsession with money, the very thing that is crushing us and enslaving us.
Dear economy, religion of the turn of the century
With your dry coins
you are trying to buy our souls
but they rebel openly
and throw haggard rocks at you,
screams that sprout from the earth.
RIP (on top)
12 families that rule the world
Ordinary citizen, enslaved
I represent capitalism as a child and an old man in poverty...
A big fish eating a small fish.
A monument should be inside every person, to wake up, to realize how capitalism ruins us and to understand how we- even if we don't like it- feed it.
The physical monument should stand where the very idea of capitalism was born; a monument to its future collapse represented by a statue of money and the powerful kneeling before regular people and their needs.
Capitalism.
Capitalism.
Capitalism:
What is a society without some valuable antique coins?
How is that we went from being free individuals to people dominated by governments and money?
This society is CONSUMERISM in tis modern form. If you don't have the most recent phone, car, or if you don't throw the most extravagant party, you will be though of as a nobody.
Society capitalistically consumes you, devours you, and tosses you out like trash. Your soul and your common sense are taken away.
Is this legacy that we want to leave behind?
A legacy of capitalism? THINK IT TWICE!
I think we Colombians come from a country with many diverse cultures. Our country is known not for its wealth but for things like drug trafficking, etc.
How can we have peace here if we don't have it in our country? Nevertheless, Colombia is not a country filled with pain and sadness; most of us are optimists and we are hoping for a better Colombia.
Health is not for sale.
From Javier.
We are divided (top of the page)
The poor (in the mountains)
The rich( in the city)
Politics. Dogma. Religion. (on the top)
Open your eyes. Free your mind. Be more aware. (inside the head)
Awareness and green thinking are the solution. (below the hand)
The economy doesn't drive us. We drive the economy.
''Words are worth more than a peso, like the one you just spent''
A change of political and personal ideologies.
-To receive people, everything should first be prepared for their arrival. Hospitals should be aware of how many people are entering and how well facilities are prepared. We lack of social awareness
in respect to our brothers and sisters who've succumbed to dugs and alcohol.
Voto= vote
Cambio= change
How mach longer are we gonna do this?
The memorial should be in Hualpen.
Pigs
No
More
Capitalism
The tower flies high
A victim of capitalism
Even the arts are victims of fucking capitalism
This sucks!
Work (top of the hammer)
No abuse and no racism (on the left)
Equality. Dignity. Regionality. (on the right)
Equality (on the bottom)
This is not fair.
Capitalism (on the top)
We are used of being prisoners of capitalism.
Who isn't?
Don't let money be a social determinant
University (on the house)
Capitalism= death and inequality.
My idea is a person tied up in chains, wearing a top hat, and eating money. The memorial for the victims of capitalism should be based on money because everything is, ultimately, connected to it, and we should try to stay away from it a little bit more. And this is a call for us to enjoy the simple things in life.
One idea is to show the inequality in the city since, according to the surveys, the average income in Antofagasta is the same as in many developed countries. You can show the disconnect between the capitalism that is experienced in the city and the capitalism that is experienced in other sectors.
The animal that represents capitalism best is the raven, which eats on a whim and not because of necessity. The feather pen represents human beings and their intelligence.
My idea is a raven with a feather pen in its beak. It would represent capitalism consuming human intelligence.
Comunidad= community
Equidad= equity
igualdad= equality
social= social
sistema= system
Anything that seeks to describe Antofagasta should capture the city's multicultural heritage, something I have always loved.
Something that represents all the different aspects of being human.
He who is eternal (left page)
Hands joining together and giving light...surrounded by natural elements form the area: coca leaves, cornclobes, something from the sea...
You don't agree with this memorial.
Why?
I believe that we, as people, should generate wealth because if we don't, we will go back to the Stone Age.
The memorial should represent elements from the entire American continent. Antofagasta, as a paradise for those who dream and hope for economic consolidation, is a home to many shanty town communities. Because of this, memorial should show the sorrow, the resistance, and the struggle for a better, more just, and more decent present as well as future.
The memorial should represent the richness of our cultures, the wisdom of Pachamama and Nuke Mapu, and that lands of indigenous people.
-with the face of a woman
-
-with Latin American heat
-with the strength of the victims of capitalism, represented by
AFP (Chilian pension system), mining, commercial aviation, copper, fisheries, ports
This is the octopus that's holding back the progress of Chile.
Free thinker (female)
Hope for liberty for my descendants.
Muelle Historico is a very important place that attracts both English and Latino tourists.
Your status does not concern me, and it's not because I'm selfish but because I'm openly opposed to capitalism.
Words of support for the victims.
No choice.
-adults
-disabled individuals
-kids
-foreigners
At La Portada
To advance and to grow is good, but not everyone thinks so...
Abuse foments poverty. It is crucial to act now before it's too late. We must get rid of this system that doesn't save anyone. Time for change is now. Don't keep your mouth shut. Be brave and voice your grievances. Fear not for God is with you.
No more AFP (on the left)
Better health, No more AFP, No more exploiting the poor, a decent retirement, free education (from the pinky finger)
Free higher education no longer exists The apps
Freedom. Education (next to the person)
Contemplation. An open mind. Empathy. Collaboration.
-Capitalism is like a battery. (on the top)
No capital (on the right)
The memories of the paradise fill my mind and my heart.
Gazing at your face, my Chile, at the zenith of your pain.
Today, there is no government, be from the right or from the left, that could change this system...
We will always be victims of something in this life...
Thank you, Antofagasta Oncology Center, for my mother, Egenia Benda (at the bottom)
Down with capitalism. (above the bag)
More democracy and equality in Chile (on the right)
Down with corrupt politicians (below the bag)
-No capitalism, new ideas
-a different type of economy
-no to importing western culture, more of the national tradition based in our cultural roots