Akasegawa Genpei's 1963-64 Model Works Critiqued Capitalist Reality Through Wrapped Objects

Japanese artist Akasegawa Genpei created "model" 1,000 Yen-notes and wrapped objects in 1963 and 1964 to challenge the perceived authenticity of mass-produced currency and goods. His 1964 "Thesis of 'Capitalist Realism'" articulated this approach as exposing the contingent legitimacy of consumer items. The installation Room in Alibi (1963) featured wrapped furniture that framed capitalism's emerging consumer lifestyle systems. These works engaged with domestic reality questions emerging from Neo-Dada, Pop, Nouveau Réalisme, happenings, and Fluxus movements during 1963-64. Parallel experimental approaches included Gerhard Richter and Konrad Lueg's use of model living room sets in their 1963 work Living with Pop—A Demonstration for Capitalist Realism. Akasegawa's models functioned as demonstrations alongside other contemporary scores, games, and instructions that frequently incorporated domestic objects. The article analyzing these works was published on October 5, 2015, by Jaimey Hamilton Faris on ARTMargins Online. Content from this analysis is available through MIT Press on a subscription-only basis.