In the era of late capitalism in which we live, everything seems designed to parasitize our desires and even our desires in order to develop in us exponential habits of consumption. Capitalism is above all a producer of fantasies. And not just those of being able to transform the world of raw materials into commodities, sources of ever-increasing profits. Capitalism also and above all embodies an obsession, that of appropriating, controlling and even shaping the desiring machine of each individual by subjecting it to formatted needs, to objects. And we did not have to wait for the Internet and its algorithms for the net of the economic system to be tight.
In a small exhibition installed in its octagonal room, the Canadian Center for Architecture (CCA) explores the function of an element of the decor of our societies, an element which at first glance seems to depend on the domain of chance or taste but which in fact is totally thought out and controlled: the carpet. And nowadays, it is not the architects who have control over the type of carpets that will be laid on the floors of the buildings they have designed. The patterns, textures and colors are decided by marketing specialists… The design of these rugs is also thought to accentuate the effect provided by the logic of brands, both as a sign of security and familiarity.
In the gigantic buildings of modern architecture, the floors and the carpets which cover them occupy an area more and more spectacular as well as a role which is much more important than one might think. The case of casinos is a very good example.
As the book explains Designing Casinos to Dominate the Competition (2000) by Bill Friedman – a book which is displayed in a display case at this exhibition – these rugs must be tasteful while having “reasonably intense” colors in order to amplify the player’s excitement. They therefore participate in this atmosphere which tries to do everything to encourage consumers to lock themselves in a bubble where they can gamble compulsively.
This exhibition therefore does not really deal with the appearance of these rugs, but rather with their performance, their affect in the social fabric, as an amplifying marketing tool in the spaces of casinos, but also those of convention centers, complexes. hoteliers… In this regard, the CCA visitor will notice in particular the photographs of Assaf Evron which allow us to examine the carpets used in hotels such as the Marriott Marquis or the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. As a text from Hyatt hotels explains, the space should create a sense of energy and connectedness that the rug patterns also embody.
But does this mechanic really work? Are we at this point in the hands of the marketers?These rugs that shape us will allow us to think about it and strengthen our critical judgment.
Before visiting this exhibition, you can listen to an introduction audio on SoundCloud.