title: INSTALL CREATIVE CLASS EXE
year: 2021
src origin: link to asset
type: unique digital asset
size: 8268  ×  11811px, 300dpi
type: png

The digital work engages with the social transformation of the bourgeois milieu brought about by the rise of the so-called “Creative Class,” as described by Richard Florida in The Rise of the Creative Class. From a Marxist perspective, the traditional bourgeoisie functioned as a stabilizing buffer between capital and proletariat—an arrangement historically criticized from the left. The work reflects a current shift: the classical bourgeoisie is being deinstalled, or the “window is being closed,” and replaced by the digitally influential, opinion-driven creativeclass.exe.

This transformation is not only addressed theoretically but also examined in terms of its concrete social and political implications in the context of digitalization. In this respect, the piece complements other works in the exhibition, such as there is no such thing as identity, and broadens the discourse with a media-critical and structural perspective.

Additionally, the work has a direct connection to Ebertplatz. Years ago, the artist realized one of his first text tokens in the offspace gallery Tiefgarage there—unintentionally including a spelling mistake that went unnoticed for days (ultimately enhancing the work). This error is revisited in the current piece, giving it a narrative continuity closely tied to the site.