World as a design supermarket

FLOWmarket is (or was) a clever installation or concept store of future commodities in three categories: individual, collective and envirnmental flow. (via)

The 3 FLOWparameters have been transformed into products categories. The values and problems have been transformed into physical products in the shape of aesthetically designed empty packings and containers with print-on labels that the visiting consumers can buy at prices prices ranging from 15-150 dkr.

To list a few examples, under the product category "individual flow" the shop offers: stress killers, addiction liberators, inner calmness, and "meaningfulness". Under the product category "collective flow" the shop offers: "Consumption moderators", "Commercial-free space", "tolerance" and "non-reachability". Under the product category "Environmental flow" the shop offers: "pollution dissolver", "organic food", "clean tap water" and "clean air".

It would be nice to find some of those products in "normal" supermarkets. If you become an addict of "lifestyle related disease killers" you can always get some "consumption moderators" or "addiction liberators" at any time. I would like to get me some cans of "holistic thinking" or "1 minute for reflection" pills... and a full box of "choice takers".

I haven't read Michel Houellebecq's essay about the world as a supermarket. So, I can't say if I agree with him or not... but I consider that "Malls" are our modern consumism temples. People spend all weekend at the mall. They put on their "weekend clothes" to go there, eat at the food courts, go to the movies, and pay their respects to the allmighty credit-card. It's like attending a "consumism sect". Many go there to get some spiritual relief (the so called : shopping therapy). Just think about the legend "in God we trust".

A high demand product must be the 5kg can of "tolerance". The problem is that there are no instructions. Despite beeing commercialy available in Denmark, seems that not many knew how to use it... or they didn't read the small letters before publishig the Mohammed cartoons. Houellebecq also needed a couple of gallons of tolerance... I guess he could go now to a FLOWsupermarket to get it.

ciao