I. Social Context: The Invasion of the Interface The SCAM series is a structural diagnosis of modern valuation systems, which prioritize the “sign” over the material foundation. It analyzes the speculative economy and the “bubble” mechanism, where market hype becomes an autonomous generator of value. In this cycle, I investigate the friction between the facade (the interface) and the hidden mass beneath, demasking the processes of simulation that define the global flow of capital and information.
II. Morphology of Waste The physical building blocks of these works are paint detritus—unused pigments and binders thickened with colloidal silica into a dense, amorphous mass. This low-saturation, high-viscosity substance creates sculptural layers several centimeters thick, expanding beyond the edges of the stretcher. This foundation represents “analog entropy”—a chaotic, entropic base upon which an illusion of order is superimposed.
III. The Simulacrum: The Golden Cage A uniform layer of industrial gold lacquer is applied over the raw, “muddy” substrate. This gesture transforms the object into a simulacrum (in the sense of Jean Baudrillard)—a sign of wealth that refers to no underlying reality. The gold shell is not decorative; it acts as a rigid, masking membrane designed to conceal the valueless sediment beneath. It is the visual equivalent of a market facade, existing solely to maintain the stability of the illusion.IV. Programmed Entropy: Technological Sabotage To materialize the inevitable collapse of such systems, I employ a deliberate “technological sabotage.” By reversing classical painting principles—applying a “lean,” fast-drying industrial lacquer over a “fat,” slow-drying oil mass—I initiate an irreversible process of chemical destruction. The rigid gold cage of the lacquer is subjected to the tension of the shrinking interior, leading to systemic cracking and surface degradation. This process serves as physical evidence of the structural instability of artificially constructed values, as they undergo a calculated auto-deconstruction.
