We Do Not Yet Know What ‘Toto Africa (playing in an empty mall)’ Can Do

We Do Not Yet Know What ‘Toto – Africa (playing in an empty mall)’ Can Do is a personal and political myth, a conversational essay that explores the internet phenomenon of musical empty mall memes on YouTube, in which pop songs are digitally processed to sound as-if played in an empty mall. Mateo Vega reads these videos as a sonic mourning and questioning of Western consumerism’s failed promises, drawing from their personal experience as well as theoretical sources.

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Written by Mateo Vega, with an introduction by Jan-Pieter ‘t Hart
Designed by Tjobo Kho and published by OUTLINE
2023, edition of 150
Distribution by Jesse Presse