Capitalist Clock

Raphael Arar

What is our attention worth?

Every second we spend scrolling social media, we’re doing work—whether we know it or not.. The longer we scroll, the more opportunity companies have to lure us in, learn about our preferences and advertise products we are likely to buy. Endless social media use becomes more than just idle time, it’s unseen labour for tech giants. In capitalist society, our days are shaped by the work that makes us money and the invisible work that doesn’t. Capitalist Clock is a sculpture that helps us see this invisible labor. Inspired by old time-card punch clocks, it scrolls tweets containing phrases like “time is money” or “waste of time” and physically “punches in” each one—making visible the way our time online is constantly turned into value. Account for the digitally unaccounted for and take back control over your leisure time.

Can we punch out of the system?

BIOGRAPHY

Raphael Arar (USA) works at the nexus of complex systems, transdisciplinary design and arts-based research. His work highlights the social, political and economic implications of technological acceleration and human-to-machine interaction.