Play— an essential part of social development and a cornerstone of childhood. Often experienced through youthful fantasies where we wear the world as costumes: we play house, play jobs, play war. The toy aisle stands split down a gendered middle of blue and pink zones. Batteries Not Included explores how systems of capitalism and violence intersect with play and uphold social norms and dynamics of privilege and power. Through their work, the artists in the show subvert, explore and resist these structures through various explorations, references to and forms of play.

Image Descriptions:
An all-white space populated by several low-poly 3D models of police officers in both T poses and rage doll stances.

Curator Bio:
Tristan Sauer is a New Media Artist and Curator working closely with the internet, wearable technology, and 3D fabrication. Sauer’s practice is critically focused on technology and capitalism, viewing their relationship as a potential modern-day Pandora’s box. He is interested in the intersections between our digital and physical worlds, and how technology affects the various facets of human existence. Often expressed through his own identity as an Afro-Canadian, Sauer explores these topics through both an Afro-futuristic and Afro-Pessimistic lens.

Documentation by Polina Teif.