Sirous Namazi’s sculpture Leaning Horizontal II comprises a supermarket shelf filled with neatly arranged products. The shelf is tilted at an angle of 45 degrees and leaning against a wall as if about to tip over. Each of the readymade items in the compartments is available as multiple products, mimicking the display systems of supermarkets. For AB6, Namazi has created a new version of his 2012 sculpture filled with products found in Swedish stores, this time putting Greek commodities on offer. The work points to abundance, global consumer culture, exploitation, and security. Yet, especially in a place like Greece, the tilted angle also makes us think of obscene opulence in the face of scarcity and economic crisis, its uncanniness pointing to asymmetrical relations of dependence.

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photos: Nysos Vasilopoulos, 6th Athens Biennale 2018 ANTI