Subculture Investment Bank

In this stunning video piece, Chinese media artist Li Hanwei deals with the question of how the banks of the future are going to invest. Imitating the existing Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), he creates the fictional Subculture Investment Bank or SIB – a bank that invests in pixels. Inspired by the format of vlogs in social media, and by alluding to a popular vlogger in China (@史里芬Schlieffen), his video takes the viewer on a breathtaking tour through the spectacular architecture of the SIB. A computer-generated voice explains the philosophy and goals of this next generation bank. For the SIB, pixels are the most reliable means of transaction. In Li Hanwei’s digital world, other pixel banks also offer their own mainstream products people can invest in. The SIB, however, invests exclusively in pixels that are part of the subculture.

Subculture Investment Bank - Shrine to Review the Universe of Images is a project in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Shanghai.