[THE SCENOGRAPHY OF VOID] ENGLISH DISSERTATION
We live in a world saturated with images and objects, yet increasingly devoid of meaning.
In commercial scenography, this paradox becomes clear: spaces designed to seduce risk offering only surface, not substance.
This dissertation explores whether scenography can move beyond mere aestheticization to genuinely create meaning — or if it remains trapped in the logic of fetishization.
This text explores how design has become a tool for consumerism, starting with 19th-century department stores that transformed shopping into a leisure activity. Malls later elevated consumption into a cultural ritual, but with the rise of digital retail, they now stand as decaying symbols of capitalism’s excess.
This text explores how retail has shifted from excess to minimalism. While malls once engineered desire through abundance, luxury stores now use emptiness and minimalism to create scarcity and exclusivity. The "white cube" model transforms products into sacred objects, making shopping a ritual. Ultimately, luxury retail commodifies emptiness, thriving where malls failed due to excess.
This section imagines a post-LVMH world, where luxury is redefined away from its roots in heritage to a globalized, financialized model. LVMH’s potential move abroad signals this shift.
The LVMH Has Gone project speculates on a new vision of luxury, with La Samaritaine as a key site for transformation. Ideas include a flea market for luxury remnants, upcycling exhibitions, and provocative fashion shows that challenge traditional values of branding and consumption.
LVMH Has Gone explores what happens if luxury disappears, turning La Samaritaine into a space for reuse and collective reinvention. It raises critical questions about the future of luxury, power, and consumerism in an urgent world.
If LVMH has gone, let its ruins spark new possibilities. The real luxury is rethinking it.