The Creators of Shopping Worlds (2001) Harun Farocki

November 29, 2024

A look at how mall producers design malls in order to maximise traffic and sales.

The designing of shopping malls is overseen by an army of planners, managers and scientists: there are consultants, re-launch analysts, a central association, mall magazines. 6000 guests and laboratories attended an annual convention in Las Vegas at which questions were investigated as where the gaze of a customer falls and how a “spontaneous” purchase can be induced.

Farocki shows how mall producers look at malls when they want to find out, for example, how passers-by move, where they stop and where they reach for an article. He adds these images to the everyday ones – and gives them a magical charge.

Also Known As (AKA): Die Schöpfer der Einkaufswelten, Créateurs des mondes d’achat