Anna Berry. The Constantly Moving Happiness Machine

The work addresses the increasing acceleration of consumption and the constant creation of needs as central mechanisms of our economic system. Anna Berry invites visitors to critically examine their own role as consumers and their often unconscious participation in global capitalism.


The central element of the installation is its interactivity:

By turning a crank, visitors set the installation in motion – a seemingly simple act that nevertheless carries deeper meaning. The act suggests the immediate fulfillment of desires and thus reflects everyday consumer processes.


But the materials used – books containing ideological texts by Ayn Rand – reveal the ideological dimension of the work:

The texts advocate neoliberal market principles and clarify the often hidden ideologies behind consumer-oriented behavior. Anna Berry exposes the mechanisms of advertising and manipulation that shape a consumption-obsessed society and encourages exploration of questions of productivity, overwork, and the psychological effects of consumer behavior.


"The Constantly Moving Happiness Machine" thus becomes a space of experience that invites viewers to question their tacit acceptance of capitalism and the mechanisms of self-seduction – and enables multifaceted reflection on time, the economy, and their own consumer behavior.


Complementing the installation, Anna Berry presents photographs from her Corona series as well as humorously interpreted still lifes in which she re-enacts everyday scenes with a subtle eye and a wink. Her works offer a playful yet thoughtful perspective on classic themes and invite open contemplation.


"Time & Temporality" is a think tank at the Dahlem Research Campus, funded by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Board.