Hito Steyerl Animal Spirits, 2022
Single channel HD video, live computer simulation, sensor devices, glass spheres, organic materials
Duration: 24 min; simulation duration variable; dimensions variable
Animal Spirits is a video installation by Hito Steyerl, consisting of a one-channel HD video film and a live computer-generated animation as well as spatial installation elements. It premiered in the artist’s solo exhibition A Sea of Data at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, 2022. The live-generated animation is changing according to data collected from sensors. The continuously changing animation follows a light-sparkling cloud of particles, travelling through what looks like a natural cave. The narrative video begins with an introduction of the term ‘Animal Spirits’: Coined by the economist John Maynard Keynes, Animal Spirits describes human emotions, urges and instincts that may drive economic markets out of control or ordinary development. The film interlaces historical film footage with animation, motion graphics and documentary interviews. It touches on topics of post-pandemic conditions of cultural production, the popularity of cryptocurrencies and NFT-works, and possibilities for (farming and fermentation inspired) systems of decentralization and autonomy.
