PHASE GALLERY is pleased to present FORUM, a solo exhibition by Los Angeles-based artist David Schafer. The exhibition critically examines the intersections of power, control, and symbolic representation in contemporary society. Through immersive environments that merge sound, sculpture, and visual elements, Schafer explores how social structures are shaped by coded signs, corporate spectacle, and institutional influence.

Pantheon is a sculptural installation that integrates neon, seating, and a layered soundscape, transforming viewers into active participants within its theatrical framework. Drawing from Gilles Deleuze’s concept of capitalism as a "regime of decoding"—where coded flows are continually transformed into commodities—and Franco Berardi’s concept of "semiocapitalism” in which signs, rather than material goods, drive economic production, Schafer deconstructs corporate logos from banking, media, military, and entertainment industries. By stripping these logos of their original identities and reducing them to abstract forms, Pantheon exposes the deeper mechanics by which branding operates—extending beyond mere identification into a mechanism of social conditioning and economic exchange. This coded visual language reflects the pervasive influence of corporate spectacle, as institutional power further embeds itself within everyday life through signs and symbols that shape our perception and behavior.

Colosseum addresses the role of public institutions in shaping collective life through controlled environments and amplified authority. The installation takes the form of a speaker system, evoking the settings of stadiums, parks, and civic spaces where authority asserts itself through broadcasted directives. An AI-read spoken-word soundtrack emits the names of facilities, institutions, and commercial spaces, mapping the enclosures that dictate human movement and behavior. Rooted in Michel Foucault’s theories of discipline and institutional control, Colosseum reflects the way modern society functions as a network of regulated spaces—schools, hospitals, factories, and prisons—designed to normalize and manage behavior. Through Colosseum, Schafer critiques the evolution of bureaucratic control, emphasizing the transition from physical institutions to invisible systems of surveillance and social engineering. The installation probes the operation of power, not just through direct enforcement, but through the very structures that dictate our perception, participation, and agency.

The exhibition references both the visible and invisible architecture of the ancient Roman Colosseum, highlighting the enduring relationship between spectacle and power. Gladiatorial combat served not just as entertainment but as a mechanism of state dominance and propaganda, reinforcing authority through grand public displays. Schafer’s installation suggests that today’s mass media and digital platforms play a similar role, replacing genuine civic discourse with orchestrated spectacle. As entertainment becomes a means of social control, public engagement is increasingly shaped by commercial interests and algorithmic governance. The exhibition’s two overlapping soundscapes immerse spectators, making tangible the hidden forces that shape contemporary life. FORUM invites reflection on the systems that enclose us, whether in the form of corporate spectacle, disciplinary institutions, or algorithmic governance, while challenging us to reconsider our own agency within them.

www.davidschafer.com

FORUM