陳   靄   媛    MEL   CHAN

DASEIN.BE: PRE-APOCALYPSE CONSULTANCY

 

Year: 2018-Present

Medium: Business Practice

 

“Tomorrow is the end of the world. What is your plan for today?” 
 

The pre-apocalypse consultancy Dasein.be (www.dasein.be) helps clients to plan their itinerary on the last day before the end of the world.

Through consultation, the consultant (aka the artist) has a conversation with the client about his/her outlook on life, inner fear, memories and wishes. Based on this conversation, an itinerary of “what should be done on the last day before the end of the world” is then tailor-made for the client. With an extra fee, the consultant would rehearse the “last day” with the client. As stated in promotional materials of the company, “Plan Ahead. Rehearse.”

Borrowing not only on the logic of wellbeing/mindfulness industry, but also the (mis-read) ideas of Kierkegaard, Jameson, Heidegger and (of course) Stephen Hawking and Neil Tyson in the “sales pitch”, this project investigates the intricate relationship between apocalyptic narratives and neo-liberalism, spiritual vacuum and esoteric services, anxiety and freedom.