SUGARLANDS

SUGARLANDS

2014

text by Tereza Rullerova The Rodina Š 2014

SUGARLANDS In this atlas I want to approach the role of the SUGAR consumption in relation to the several aesthetic, social, cultural, economic and ideological aspects. The SUGAR as food is basic source of energy, the essential substance which our body needs to live.

There is no consciousness without the sufficient blood sugar level. That physiological importance makes it play major role in society and economy.

The cane SUGAR production was invented in India, later popular in Arabic world, was luxury product accessible only for elites. Because of high energy consumption, the rise of SUGAR mass production developed later during industrial revolution and colonization. Over 1,5 million of slaves were imported from Africa to work in colonies on cane SUGAR agriculture. Than during Napoleon wars, the sugar lack caused by Britain’s blockade of overseas trade started the production of beet SUGAR in continental Europe. That was one of the essential impulses for industrialization at least of middle Europe.

I would say that SUGAR was the first industrial food product - kind of well designed metabrand - associated with its artificial superior whiteness and definite teste. Consequently in 1840 the form of SUGAR loaf was upgraded by invention of SUGAR cube by Czech born Swiss Jacob Christoph Rad. That can be considered to have same value for history of design as Jonathan Ives´s iPhone for 21st century.

In the terms of neoliberal capitalism consume ideology of 20. century were introduced many new forms of SUGAR: sweets, jams, candies and sweet drinks.

The feeling of welfare was connected with ubiquitous availability of SUGAR products. But as it is significant for capitalism, the crisis came. SUGAR consumers became obsessive junkies — addicts who repeatedly buy and eat their SUGAR product.

Health issue connected with overconsumption opened new market opportunities. So the “healthy” SUGAR was invented, the nutrition quality was removed, only satisfaction remained. Unfortunately consumptionhas never brought a chance for absolute

self-actualization. So now we can sweeten with “double consumerism” fairtrade SUGAR, when consuming it is simultaneously moral act.

What’s more we can find our forgotten original nature with using “natural” brown SUGAR. We can dream about pure nature and healthy life, but it´s something, we shouldn´t return to, at least by consuming. As It is nicely described in F. Guattari´s text about The Three Ecologies, where he mentions the story of octopus. Scientists put it from dirty water into the clean one, but octopus died. There is no way back, even when we drink espresso with melasa every morning.

And finally it looks now that it´s just a matter of time when SUGAR will be understood as toxic drug under the restrictions of the law. But it is not issue of chemical properties of SUGAR, but the isue of ideology which tend us to overconsume.

In European union we are living in SUGERLANDS. We are trapped in 28 SUGAR landscapes. By taking photos of them I tried to demonstrate our situation.

As philosopher Judith Butler mentioned That photographies can only AFFECT us, not provide us with UNDERSTANDING of what we see. This is exactly how ideological images work. Our SUGARLANDS are empty dreary landscapes carefully hidden under the oversaturated satisfaction promising image - sky. The very concept of ideology implies a kind of basic, constitutive naïveté: “the difference between socalled social reality and our distorted representation, our false consciousness of it,” as it describes Slavoj Žižek.

In SUGERLANDS we are obliged to consume more, to eat more, to ENJOY.

AT

36,400

45.7

AUSTRIA population: 8,451,900 healthy years of life: 58

SUGAR production in year: 444,264 tones consumption/person: 45.7 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 38% population no sport at all: 29% population

444,264

38

58

3,800

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,800 kcal GDP living standard per person: 36,400 euro

three

50 686,595

3,690

62

BELGIUM population: 11,161,600 healthy years of life: 62

SUGAR production in year: 686,595 tones consumption/person: 55.6 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 50% population no sport at all: 28% population

34,300 BE 55.6

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,690 kcal GDP living standard per person: 34,300 euro

five

28

2,760

5,500

BG

BULGARIA population: 7,284,600 healthy years of life: 76

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 31.7 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 13% population no sport at all: 28% population

31.7

13

76

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 2,760 kcal GDP living standard per person: 5,500 euro

seven

46.2

HR

10,200

CROATIA population: 4,262,100 healthy years of life: unknown

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 46.2 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: unknown no sport at all: unknown

4,262,100

R

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: unknown GDP living standard per person: 10,200 euro

nine

CY

41

58

CYPRUS population: 865,900 healthy years of life: 58

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 46.9 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 41% population no sport at all: 46% population

19,000

46.9

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: unknown GDP living standard per person: 19,000 euro

eleven

14,200 CZ

59

CZECH REPUBLIC population: 10,516,100 healthy years of life: 59

SUGAR production in year: 432,755 tones consumption/person: 36,7 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 28% population no sport at all: 37% population

432,755

36,7

3,280

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,280 kcal GDP living standard per person: 14,200 euro

thirteen

60.

44,400

9

DK

68

DENMARK population: 5,602,600 healthy years of life: 68

SUGAR production in year: 374,000 tones consumption/person: 60.9 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 64% population no sport at all: 18% population

64 3,410

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,410 kcal GDP living standard per person: 44,400 euro

fifteen

34

41 45.9

ESTONIA population: 1,324,800 healthy years of life: 49

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 45.9 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 34% population no sport at all: 41% population

EE

1,324,800

13,800

49

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: unknown GDP living standard per person: 13,800 euro

seventeen

80,000

FI

7

53

FINLAND population: 5,426,700 healthy years of life: 53

SUGAR production in year: 80,000 tones consumption/person: 33.9 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 72% population no sport at all: 7% population

3,220

7

35,600

72

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,220 kcal GDP living standard per person: 35,600 euro

nineteen

FR

27,500

3,530

4,257,418

62

FRANCE population: 65,633,200 healthy years of life: 62

SUGAR production in year: 4,257,418 tones consumption/person: 36.8 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 48% population no sport at all: 34% population

4,257,41 8

36.8

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,530 kcal GDP living standard per person: 27,500 euro

twenty—one

31,300

3,540

50

GERMANY population: 80,523,700 healthy years of life: 57

SUGAR production in year: 3,442,683 tones consumption/person: 50 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 49% population no sport at all: 31% population

49

DE

3,442,683

57

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,540 kcal GDP living standard per person: 31,300 euro

twenty—three

17,200

77,

182

GR

66

GREECE population: 11,062,500 healthy years of life: 66

SUGAR production in year: 77,182 tones consumption/person: 29.5 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 18% population no sport at all: 67% population

18 3,710

29.5

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,710 kcal GDP living standard per person: 17,200 euro

twenty—five

45.9

110

,50

0

54

HUNGARY population: 9,908,800 healthy years of life: 54

SUGAR production in year: 110,500 tones consumption/person: 45.9 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 32% population no sport at all: 53% population

9,900

3,470

HU

32

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,470 kcal GDP living standard per person: 9,900 euro

twenty—seven

3

3,590

205,160

IE

IRELAND population: 4,591,100 healthy years of life: 62

SUGAR production in year: 205,160 tones consumption/person: 41.3 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 58% population no sport at all: 26% population

35,7

00

41.3

58

62

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,590 kcal GDP living standard per person: 35,700 euro

twenty窶馬ine

25,600

27

IT

ITALY population: 59,685,200 healthy years of life: 64

SUGAR production in year: 554,530 tones consumption/person: 31.3 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 27% population no sport at all: 55% population

3,650

T

554,530

64

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,650 kcal GDP living standard per person: 25,600 euro

thirty—one

LV 29.2

50

LATVIA population: 2,023,800 healthy years of life: 50

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 29.2 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 27% population no sport at all: 44% population

2,990

2,023,800

27

10,600

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 2,990 kcal GDP living standard per person: 10,600 euro

thirty—three

36

46

72,000

52

LITHUANIA population: 2,971,900 healthy years of life: 52

SUGAR production in year: 72,000 tones consumption/person: 46 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 36% population no sport at all: 44% population

3,430

11,700

LT

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,430 kcal GDP living standard per person: 11,700 euro

thirty—five

LU

51

80,700

43.9

LUXEMBOURG population: 537,000 healthy years of life: 61

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 43.9 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 51% population no sport at all: 32% population

32

LU

61

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: unknown GDP living standard per person: 80,700 euro

thirty—seven

MT

17,000

51.6

MALTA population: 421,400 healthy years of life: 69

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 51.6 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 48% population no sport at all: 38% population

48

38

69

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: unknown GDP living standard per person: 17,000 euro

thirty窶馬ine

NL

870,

536

63

NETHERLANDS population: 16,779,600 healthy years of life: 63

SUGAR production in year: 870,536 tones consumption/person: 46.4 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 56% population no sport at all: 28% population

56

3,000

46.4

35,900

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,000 kcal GDP living standard per person: 35,900 euro

forty—one

3,410

43.6

25

POLAND population: 38,533,300 healthy years of life: 59

SUGAR production in year: 1,464,457 tones consumption/person: 43.6 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 25% population no sport at all: 49% population

10,10

0

1,464,457

PL

59

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,410 kcal GDP living standard per person: 10,100 euro

forty—three

33

15,800

PT

PT

58

PORTUGAL population: 10,487,300 healthy years of life: 58

SUGAR production in year: unknown consumption/person: 32.7 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 33% population no sport at all: 55% population

32.7

3,580

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,580 kcal GDP living standard per person: 15,800 euro

forty—five

123,664

28.1

60

ROMANIA population: 20,057,500 healthy years of life: 60

SUGAR production in year: 123,664 tons consumption/person: 28.1 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 21% population no sport at all: 49% population

3,490

21 6,500

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,490 kcal GDP living standard per person: 6,500 euro

forty—seven

40

139,81

2

58

SLOVAKIA population: 5,410,800 healthy years of life: 55

SUGAR production in year: 139,812 tons consumption/person: 40 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 30% population no sport at all: 35% population

2,900

13,

300

SK

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 2,900 kcal GDP living standard per person: 13,300 euro

forty窶馬ine

43,442

3,320

23.2

SLOVENIA population: 2,058,800 healthy years of life: 57

SUGAR production in year: 43,442 tons consumption/person: 23.2 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 52% population no sport at all: 22% population

52

SI

17,100

2

57

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,320 kcal GDP living standard per person: 17,100 euro

fifty—one

ES

22,300

25.1

SPAIN population: 46,704,300 healthy years of life: 62

SUGAR production in year: 528,000 tons consumption/person: 25.1 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 39% population no sport at all: 42% population

528,000 3,260

62

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,260 kcal GDP living standard per person: 22,300 euro

fifty—three

3,110

72

SWEDEN population: 9,555,900 healthy years of life: 65

SUGAR production in year: 315,000 tons consumption/person: 42.1 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 72% population no sport at all: 6% population

42.1

315,000

43,800

SE

65

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,110 kcal GDP living standard per person: 43,800 euro

fifty—five

29,800

3,450

64

UNITED KINGDOM population: 63,730,100 healthy years of life: 64

SUGAR production in year: 994,790 tons consumption/person: 35.6 kg a year

SPORT activity once a week: 46% population no sport at all: 32% population

46

35.6

UK

6

994,790

ECONOMY consumed energy per day/person: 3,450 kcal GDP living standard per person: 29,800 euro

fifty—seven

SUGARLANDS Text and graphic design: Tereza Ruller, www.therodina.com Typeface: Castledown, Akkurat Mono Pro Paper: Arctitc papers, Munken Lynx Print: printer.nl Thanks to: Too Long Drukkerij Lauren Alexander and Niels Shrader for Philosophy, Design and Interactive Media Design at The Royal Academy of Art The Hague, Netherlands 2014 All rights reserved.