


You can get anything you want in our consumption-fuelled society, except the stuff we increasingly need: bravery, connection, calm, purpose. Until now!
Artwork description
Intangible Goods is an experimental line of conveniently-packaged consumables for the mind. Developed in collaboration with mental health professionals and presented by Art & About Sydney, each good is designed to momentarily satisfy a need higher up on Maslow’s hierarchy than, say, chocolate and crinkle-cut chips.
Passersby were able to make purchases from the Intangible Goods vending machine, when it was located in a number of sites across Sydney from 26 March to 8 April. All profits from the work were donated to beyondblue, the Mental Health Association NSW (WayAhead) and the Schizophrenia Research Institute at NeuRA.
To create Intangible Goods, artists Elizabeth Commandeur and Mark Starmach surveyed over 600 people to unwrap what Sydneysiders felt were missing in their lives.
Artists
Hailing from the high-octane world of advertising and marketing, Elizabeth Commandeur and Mark Starmach are a multi award-winning creative team currently based in Sydney.
This personal project marks their first venture beyond advertising, and has been informed by their shared experiences growing up in households affected by mental illness.
For this project, the artists worked alongside mental health professionals Barbara LeBas, Dr Tim Sharp, and Charlotte Stapf.
