SAIPREETHI DURAIRAMAN
Mr. Saurabh Srivastava
saipreethi_d@nid.edu
This project frames consumerism as a modern religion, where supermarkets act as temples, products as deities, and shopping as an act of devotion. It critiques how humans, driven by inner desires and impulses, link their identities to material goods, creating a cycle of consumption that sustains contemporary societal and economic systems. This “new religion” of consumerism replaces traditional forms of worship, with packaged goods becoming objects of veneration. The project explores how shopping rituals mirror religious practices, with product categories personified as “gods” possessing specific powers and attributes that reflect their promises to consumers. The relationship between consumers and these “gods” is examined through the lens of devotion, loyalty, and manipulation. As an installation design, the work serves as a speculative and critical exploration of how deep-seated desires are exploited by market forces, inviting viewers to reflect on the spiritual weight we assign to the mundane act of consumption.