Chad Erpelding: Infected Economies

About

During his time at SomoS, Chad has focused on different economic markers from around the world as they were affected by the Covid19 pandemic, including an analysis of stock market data, GDP, debt, trade, etc. The immense fluctuation of international markets during the pandemic is characterized by blocks of red and black paint; an homage to the economic phrase ‘in the black/in the red’, meaning either an influx or decrease of capital. Chad’s series gives this data tangible form as to invite audiences to investigate the inextricable relationship between international economies as well as their own comprehension of the stock market. As an artist interested in re-presenting a myriad of perspectives on the global economy, Chad is most interested in interacting with audiences with distanced speculation. He hopes to “[engage] with the intellect through my work, presenting a viewer with issues to consider but not necessarily dictating where those thoughts lead.” His interest in stock markets derives from an understanding that different economies are inextricably related, and that these markers are often followed with “an almost religious fervor” as a way to measure the health of an economy. They are not simply aestheticized numbers but catalogs for socio-economic wherewithal.