All misfortune has its bright side and the current economic climate is no exception because it is forcing us to rethink many concepts that we have taken for granted. So far high levels of consumption seemed reasonable because, -among other things- it was one of the legs that held western economies. However, for some time now, slow movements are emerging suggesting a change in our unstoppable spending pace.

Fashion is probably the best reflection of our consumerist excesses. Nowadays we do not buy based on the quality and utility of the things we can get, but on quantity and the amount of social status it will provide.

Being more aware of the way we shop is easy if we make the effort, and there are two tips that always work: not buying impulsively and making lists by eliminating those things that we deem unnecessary. Also, be selective with your wardrobe; worshiping each of the pieces it contains is more satisfying, making the ritual of wearing something much more simple and fun.

The resources of the Earth and the human race are not infinite, therefore sensible spending is vital to ensure the continuity of the planet. We must change our mentality being aware of this fact: consuming more does not necessarily mean a better life.

Source : Allure-Allure & El Fasionista (drawing)

Markus Kreiss speaks about his vision of slow movie through his work that you’ll find on souvenirsfromearth.tv

Marcus Kreiss is a video-artist living in Paris. He studied filmmaking in Rome before coming to France in 1986. His works include urban installations, paintings and drawings and can be found in the most important German and French art collections (deutsche Bank, FNAC, Yvon Lambert etc) Since the late 90s he develops a concept for specific videofilms for flat screens he calls “video paintings” and founded a TV channel in 2006 just to show this kind of work: souvenirs from earth TV can be seen all over France in the “free” network and on half of the German cable TV networks.