MACHT SPASS / make fun, 2004, U.R.A.
The work “MACHT SPASS” does play with the ambiguity of the German words “Macht” and “Spaß” and the combination of these two words. The word “Macht” means power but also can be read as “make it” or “do it” and “Spaß” means “Fun”,” joy” or “joke”. The sentence “Macht Spaß” could be read as “make fun” but also “power to the fun”. Fromm “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” to “MACHT SPASS”
Now days when everybody is “FREI” (free) it changes also the content of the current logo. Once “ARBEIT MACHT FREI” (work sets you free) changes to “Arbait soll Spaß machen” (work has to make fun). The word fun is now days everywhere around us. Everything must be or make FUN. Fun with music, reading, playing, traveling. Every product that we use or buy is fun. Eating is fun, not eating too. Fit for fun, shopping & fun, driving & fun, fun factory, killing is fun (on the films and video games) fun-society, nonstop fun. Fun touches every vein of society: the media, art, politics, economy, sports, technics and technology. People seem to like that.
Is this neon light work with two words “MACHT SPASS” maybe a “commercial” for a new era which propagates joy and fun 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Is it the Advertising of our time, the era of uninterrupted enjoyment? In the time of entertainment and fun, when social, political and cultural values change, the meanings of the words and terms rapidly changes too. They move borders of the old society in every possible way and redefine themselves. We will see what direction the societies which are based on fun, joy and entertainment will move in. The title of this work leaves us another question.
Why the word ”Spaß”(correct form) is written wrong – as “SPASS”? Does the work insinuate the stupidity or un education of the society; or the future unlettered society or does the double SS allude to a Nazi dictatorship system – dictatorship of fun?