Tobias Kaspar | My Dreams and Nightmares (One Day) 2024

Snow globe made from rubber, glass, acrylic paint,glitter, galvanized plastic
Globe diameter of 12 cm with a height of 15 cm

In this expansive narrative of time and space, 365 Bartleby-inspired snow globes—one for each day of the year—glitter like distant stars, mass-produced to comment on global consumerism and art’s place within it. The snow globes depict miniature worlds that, like art itself, invite us to look in but not enter. Inside each globe is a somewhat grim-looking teddy bear, leaning against a highway billboard while sipping from a disposable cup. Next to the teddy is a paintbrush, resting on the ground, with paint dripping but leaving the billboard above it blank. The snow globe is filled with too much snow, obscuring the scene. The teddy wears a sweater adorned with a flower, and another picked flower lies on the ground. On the reverse side of the billboard, a camouflage pattern is interwoven with a pied-de-poule design.

This symbolic narrative draws inspiration from Herman Melville’s novella Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street, in which the character Bartleby famously declares, “I would prefer not to.” The phrase, emblematicof passive resistance, is discussed in depth by philosopher Giorgio Agamben in The Coming Community, where Bartleby’s quiet refusal is explored as a response to societal demands. Snow globes themselves are intriguing objects, balancing nostalgia with commercial appeal. They are familiar as souvenirs yet often used by luxury brands, embodying both kitsch and collectibility. For Kaspar, creating a snow globe was a natural extension of his ongoing exploration of consumer culture and art as merchananddise. By choosing the snow globe as a medium, he critiques the commodification of art while reclaiming it as
a valid form of artistic expression. In doing so, he elevates this everyday item into a thought-provoking statement piece, challenging the boundaries between art, commerce, and cultural production.