Paradise Consumer Group (AND)
(Pep Aguarelles, Eve Ariza, Helena Guardia, Susana Herrador)
The Paradise consumer, 2005 time 1:45 sec
Synopsis
This video intends o push to the limit the stereotyped image that people have of Andorra: a country dominated by its special offers , that attract impulsive purchasers.
Our project shows the attitude of this kind of consumers in front of an in usual situation. This project claim to push to the limit the attitude of this kind of compulsive purchasers, using real and artificial situations. The project takes place in a typical Andorran supermarket.
Work Process
After Rita’s and Pier´s visit, we started to work as a group in June 2005. We decided to work together because of this project and we created the group even if some of us had never meet before.
The conception and realization of our video started in June and ended in the middle of November, when we presented it for the first time at the San Marino’s meeting.
We began our project analyzing the different stereotypes that exist about Andorra, but we finally decided to work in one of them: the idea of Andorra as a “supermarket-country”. Andorra as a “cheapest country” makes our distinction outside our boarders and till now the legend is still alive. With our video called “The paradise consumer”, we aim to push to the limit the stereotyped idea about Andorra, working and exaggerating the compulsive attitude of this kind of consumers, who only visit us for shopping. This project takes place in a typical Andorran supermarket called Andorra 2000, one of those that still receive visits of organized buses full of buyers. After exposing our project to its manager, the supermarket accepted a complete collaboration with us. The project consists in starting some actions of direct consume with our figurants and waiting for the reaction of the anonymous purchasers who where naturally making their shopping. Those actions had been filmed during the week-end of 16th and 17th November. Our intention was to show with humor what Andorra represents for people that visit us from other countries.
Concept
In general for a lot of people, this country symbolizes consumer goods because you find plenty of supermarkets. All of us, as artists and citizens of this country, want to make a reflection about this consumer relationship between inhabitants of Andorra and visitors and which are the consequences. We want to emphasize on this”Andorra-supermarket”´s concept-label, which is the most representative stereotype of the country. The “Paradise”´s label is also used as a touristic image for the country: Andorra, a natural-paradise, an economic-paradise, etc...This paradise concept doesn’t belong to reality but more towards the opposite: towards the artificial. Andorra looks like a “shop-window” country. We just need to arrive here to see it. Our project wants to show the other side of the mirror, the one that you can’t see at first look or the one it’s not interested in seeing.
We want to show the relationship between the consumer and the seller, as well as the attractive to come to buy in the country. We’ll study the connections that exist between consumers and supermarkets, emphasizing to the extreme the superficial. We’ll confront the consumer with reality and illusion. These concepts will be applied with actions in the supermarket in a ironic and critical way. Our intention is to incite the spectator to reflection about our fragile consumer habits and on the consumer system.
(Pep Aguarelles, Eve Ariza, Helena Guardia, Susana Herrador)
The Paradise consumer, 2005 time 1:45 sec
Synopsis
This video intends o push to the limit the stereotyped image that people have of Andorra: a country dominated by its special offers , that attract impulsive purchasers.
Our project shows the attitude of this kind of consumers in front of an in usual situation. This project claim to push to the limit the attitude of this kind of compulsive purchasers, using real and artificial situations. The project takes place in a typical Andorran supermarket.
Work Process
After Rita’s and Pier´s visit, we started to work as a group in June 2005. We decided to work together because of this project and we created the group even if some of us had never meet before.
The conception and realization of our video started in June and ended in the middle of November, when we presented it for the first time at the San Marino’s meeting.
We began our project analyzing the different stereotypes that exist about Andorra, but we finally decided to work in one of them: the idea of Andorra as a “supermarket-country”. Andorra as a “cheapest country” makes our distinction outside our boarders and till now the legend is still alive. With our video called “The paradise consumer”, we aim to push to the limit the stereotyped idea about Andorra, working and exaggerating the compulsive attitude of this kind of consumers, who only visit us for shopping. This project takes place in a typical Andorran supermarket called Andorra 2000, one of those that still receive visits of organized buses full of buyers. After exposing our project to its manager, the supermarket accepted a complete collaboration with us. The project consists in starting some actions of direct consume with our figurants and waiting for the reaction of the anonymous purchasers who where naturally making their shopping. Those actions had been filmed during the week-end of 16th and 17th November. Our intention was to show with humor what Andorra represents for people that visit us from other countries.
Concept
In general for a lot of people, this country symbolizes consumer goods because you find plenty of supermarkets. All of us, as artists and citizens of this country, want to make a reflection about this consumer relationship between inhabitants of Andorra and visitors and which are the consequences. We want to emphasize on this”Andorra-supermarket”´s concept-label, which is the most representative stereotype of the country. The “Paradise”´s label is also used as a touristic image for the country: Andorra, a natural-paradise, an economic-paradise, etc...This paradise concept doesn’t belong to reality but more towards the opposite: towards the artificial. Andorra looks like a “shop-window” country. We just need to arrive here to see it. Our project wants to show the other side of the mirror, the one that you can’t see at first look or the one it’s not interested in seeing.
We want to show the relationship between the consumer and the seller, as well as the attractive to come to buy in the country. We’ll study the connections that exist between consumers and supermarkets, emphasizing to the extreme the superficial. We’ll confront the consumer with reality and illusion. These concepts will be applied with actions in the supermarket in a ironic and critical way. Our intention is to incite the spectator to reflection about our fragile consumer habits and on the consumer system.