>> Slideshow >> Ever more and increasingly younger people define themselves through their material possessions. Their motto: "You are what you buy." Trend and brand consciousness not only determine their consumer behaviour but serve as measure of their self- esteem. Gone are the days when the individual endeavours to distinguish himself through intrinsic values such as character, intelligence, virtue or modesty. "The more, the better" is the new credo, ostentatious display the new chic. Mindless consumerism is not only the order of the day, but also raison d'être of a rampantly capitalistic society which has supplanted "being" with "having" while bankrupting itself of all content and thus hardly offering anything in the way of ideals. Even those who could ill afford to do so, succumb to the enticements of the embarassment of purported riches on offer and to the tantalising mirages of advertising claims.

Acquiring and accumulating material goods has come to serve as a substitute of choice for an alarmingly increasing number of people. Depending on the social stratum involved; it is a compensation for a life without perspective in the case of the disenfranchised and underprivileged. For the privileged, who lack a worthwhile goal in life, it serves as an ineffectual and empty display of material status. The only egalitarianism involved lies in the fact that all people, regardless of class, are degraded to the status of mere consuming animals who are themselves consumed as a mindless and inexhaustible resource by a system whose be- all and end- all is indiscriminate comsumption.

>> Slideshow >> And so, the relentless and never- ending fire sale which ensues at full tilt like a raging battle is the theme of Achim Koerfer's new photo sequence NARCOTIC SALE. The sell- out not only involves all manner of superfluous, in many cases, utterly useless commodities, but also of values.

Shopping, whether done in the classic style in a mall, or à la mode, online, has mutated from necessity into leisure pursuit, indeed, into a grassroots sport. On offer? The auto and the cellphone for everyman; a plethora of modishly indispensable and conveniently disposable commodities. Their materialistic lure makes it easy for the masses to compensate with the trendy pursuit of material goods, for any deficiency or dearth of intrinsic values. It is not for nothing that consumerism can be considered the contemporary opium of the masses. For many, shopping has come to be a drug which narcotises and severely impairs cognition and volition. This, like any addiction, incessantly demands ever- increasing doses to stimulate the pleasure centres of the brain for the accustomed kick. Consequently, shopping, for many, becomes the ideal nostrum against the boredom of routine and the ennui of daily life, against a sense of inferiority and powerlessness.

The vivid compositions of NARCOTIC SALE make urgently manifest how true value is being supplanted by degrees by market value; shopping pleasure, by addictive binge shopping, which is not only being deliberately instigated by commerce, industry and the advertising business, but also propagated as normal behaviour. "I buy, therefore I am; I am what I buy" - and unfortunates who are in no position to do so, suffer withdrawal symptoms. To keep their herd of consumers shopping, the business sector stokes addictive shopping with irresistible bargains and specials, such as interest- free installment plans. Shop premises and displays are cunningly landscaped to supply cues, both overt or insidious, to get the customer to make purchases. Use of subliminal ploys, aromas and music, in addition to the artful deployment and arrangement of shelves make customers willing casualties of consumer warfare strategies.

>> Slideshow >> The resulting indiscriminate sell- out of values is reflected in the questionable worth of the eminently disposable merchandise currently on offer, with its pronounced built- in obsolescence. With this, quality has become a scarce commodity. Indeed, quite unchallenged, demand now shapes the market, for where once major purchases were made only on special occasions such as on Christmas or on birthdays, Homo consumicus treats himself to expensive buys all year round. In order to enable him to afford major purchases all of the time, Commerce and Industry accomodate Homo consumicus with inferior quality goods - and thus ensure their continued existence and a permanent stream of sales opportunities. The fact that this strategy can only function on the very short term before the system cannibalises itself has currently become painfully apparent with the number of personal bankruptcies increasing in leaps and bounds, marking the collapse of this economic system.

NARCOTIC SALE holds a mirror to the illusion and the fatal misconception that consumerism alone automatically means better living, happiness, well- being and esteem. At the same time, NARCOTIC SALE - “shopping, an intoxicant” is an urgent appeal for a return to a sense of proportion and sustainability with respect to consumer behaviour.

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