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Surplus Value

Updated Friday, 19 February 2016

Exploring questions surrounding immigration

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Surplus Value logo

‘Surplus Value’ was made by the artist Tania Bruguera at Tate Modern as part of her larger art project Immigrant Movement International. It requires people to line up and pass a polygraph test concerning visa applications before they can be granted access to the inner gallery. Once inside a sign gradually reveals itself, the sign reads ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’ (‘work liberates’) and is a 1:1 replica of a sign that was stolen from Auschwitz.

It was initiated by an artist and cultural organisation and encourages people to participate through a special event. Suplus Value is global in orientation and concerned with anti-discrimination, equality and social justice, democracy, politics and representation and peace.

It was launched in London in August 2012 and lasted one week.

This page is part of Participation Now, a project that brings together a diverse collection of participatory public engagement initiatives with the aim of supporting exploration, learning and engagement. Explore the collection of initiatives or read more about the project.

 

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