Erik van Lieshout

In 2010, Erik van Lieshout opened a "shop" in the Zuidplein Mall in Rotterdam South, a working class area with a large immigrant community were he lived from 1993 to 2007. Van Lieshout did not sell anything in his shop, which had "Real luxury is buying nothing" printed in big letters on its windows. Inside the shop, Van Lieshout examined the social impact of figures such as architect Rem Koolhaas and right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn through interaction with the other shopkeepers and with local residents. This resulted in some very funny conversations about topics such as consumerism and regeneration, which are documented in "Commission". The work was commissioned by Sculpture International Rotterdam and the local Rotterdam community as part of a long-term art project at the Zuidplein.