The Prison of Things

Abstract

In a materialist theory a form cannot exist independently from a material support – therefore a social relation, a social form like value must be embodied and materialized. A ‘social form’ needs a material support or, to be more precise, presupposes a complicated assemblage of materials and processes. Some elements of the media and materiality of value are described. Media are understood as techniques of storage, transmission, processing and representation of information. Which techniques of storage, transmission, processing and representation of information go along with ‘value’? The media and materialities that are necessary to stabilize the value of material commodities are put into focus. A whole ecosystem of apparatuses and practices is necessary to perform the value of, let’s say, an ordinary apple in a supermarket.