many hands

Understood as the ‘father of capitalism’, Scottish thinker Adam Smith conceptualised many economic theories that gave rise to the rapidly advancing capitalist systems we live in today. Smith’s theory of ‘the invisible hand’ was instrumental in the creation of free market ideology, which proposes that the laws of supply and demand can appropriately regulate economic systems.

Using the metaphor of the invisible hand, Smith argues that if individuals are guided by their own self-interest, competition will inadvertently create social good and distribute goods and services that all can afford. Thus, acting according to our own self-interest will generate social good as a byproduct. It is abundantly clear that such capitalist ideology, which views social good and welfare as an accessory, secondary to profits, is actively destroying our world. Immense power and resources are concentrated in the hands of the few, as us proletarians fight over crumbs. Our communities exist in a state of decay and fracture, divisions across fiscal, social and political lines have never been so deep. It is clear we must reorient towards policy that does not just hope for social good and care but fiercely demands it. This work seeks to make the invisible hand visible, highlighting the capitalist forces that govern our lives, whilst also reminding us of the collective power we hold as a society in organising with one another to decry these systems. Many hands make light work. Now more than ever, we must remember our collectivity and build a new way forward together.

Exhibition view: FUSE, Portview Trade Centre, September 2025

Documentation: David Copeland