INDEX


"WE WILLINGLY FOCUS ON WHAT
IS IMPORTANT"

California, 2006
video 20 min 55 sec

Dressed in a khaki outfit that resembles a service industry uniform or military uniform, 'Christopher' enthousiastically recites a 20-minute long statement.

His words are a compilation of
so-called mission statements, found in promotional material from corporate, legal, political and other organisations in the United States. Contrary to advertising, these statements exclusively express an internal desire for improvement and perfection. With grandiose sentiments as a result: “Through our work, millions will become more fully alive.”

Recorded in a ‘black box’ and projected life-size on a wall, Christopher was initially meant to welcome the visitors of the exhibition ‘Supervision’ with good intentions. The piece has been screened in other contexts since.


Watch a short clip:

'We Willingly Focus On What Is Important' (4.31 MB)








Mission Statement fragments from:

Albertson
Alcoa
American Express
Anheuser-Busch
Ariel Mutual Fund
Ashland
Avaya
Avnet
Avon
BASF
Baker Hughes
Ball's
Baptist Healthcare
Barnes & Noble
Ben & Jerry's
Bimbo Bakeries
Blackrock
Ken Blanchard Companies
Boeing
Borders Group
British Petrol
California Highway Patrol
Cardinal Health
Chevron
Coca Cola
Colgate-Palmolive
Corporate Executive Board
Crown Financial Ministries
Cummins
CVS Pharmacy
Darden Restaurants
Dell
The Democratic Party
Dow Chemical
Eastman Kodak
Edward Jones
Exxon Mobil
Ford
Gap
Gillette
Goldman Sachs
Google
H & R Block
HCA
Heinz
Hershey Company
Hewlett Packard
IBM
Jesus CEO Foundation
Johnson Controls
Johnson & Johnson
Junior Achievement
Kellogg Company
Koch Industries
Kraft Foods
Land O' Lakes
Lexmark
Liberty Tax Service
Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles World Airports
Medtronic
Meredith Corporation
Merck’s
Microsoft
Nestle USA
Nuveen
Office Depot
Panera Bread
Performance Food Group
Proctor & Gamble
Progressive
Qwest Communications
Republican National Committee
Restoration Hardware
Ritz-Carlton
Riverside Correctional Deputy
Riverside County Sherriff’s Department
Sanborn & Associates
Scholastic
ShopKo
Starbucks
Staubauch
Time Warner
Tractor Supply
Brian Tracy International
Tribune Company
The Walgreens Creed
Unilever
United States Army
United States Border Patrol
University of California Police Department
Washington Mutual
Wellpoint
Worthwhile Magazine
Xlinx
Xerox
Yahoo


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