Paperwork and the Will of Capital is a conceptual photobook and archival project examining the stagecraft, performativity, and material iconography of global political and economic power.
Simon's investigation began with archival photographs of historical accords, treaties, contracts, and decrees, specifically those signed by the 44 nation-states present at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, which established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank and laid the groundwork for modern global capitalism.
Noticing that these high-stakes political ceremonies consistently feature curated floral centerpieces flanking powerful political figures, Simon isolated the arrangements.
Working with a botanist, Simon identified every plant species present in the original archival signing photographs. She then sourced over 4,000 flower specimens directly from the Aalsmeer Flower Auction in the Netherlands, the global epicenter of the commercial floral trade.
Reconstructing the arrangements in her studio, Simon photographed them against color-coded backdrops matching the original ceremony decor. These arrangements function as modern "impossible bouquets"a trope originating in 17th-century Dutch still-life painting where flowers from different seasons and geographies were rendered together in a single painting. Today, such arrangements are made physically possible through global trade routes and industrial agriculture.
By stripping away the politicians, pens, and official documents, Simon isolates the decorative props of diplomacy, showing how political agreements are visually staged, marketed, and performatively validated. The work connects the "will of capital" directly to the control of nature. The global flower trade, where living organisms are grown, shipped, and commodified across continents merely to sit briefly at a signing table, serves as a metaphor for the far-reaching economic policies drafted in those very rooms. nIn addition to large-format photographic still lifes, the broader project includes botanical herbarium specimens, dried, pressed, and sewn onto archival paper, paired with text summaries detailing the real-world political and economic consequences of each signed accord.
Paperwork and the Will of Capital highlights Simon's signature approach: combining rigorous archival research, taxonomic classification, and polished aesthetics to expose hidden systems of authority, bureaucracy, and international governance.
Paperwork and the Will of Capital is a conceptual photobook and archival project examining the stagecraft, performativity, and material iconography of global political and economic power.
Simon's investigation began with archival photographs of historical accords, treaties, contracts, and decrees, specifically those signed by the 44 nation-states present at the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference, which established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank and laid the groundwork for modern global capitalism.
Noticing that these high-stakes political ceremonies consistently feature curated floral centerpieces flanking powerful political figures, Simon isolated the arrangements.
Working with a botanist, Simon identified every plant species present in the original archival signing photographs. She then sourced over 4,000 flower specimens directly from the Aalsmeer Flower Auction in the Netherlands, the global epicenter of the commercial floral trade.
Reconstructing the arrangements in her studio, Simon photographed them against color-coded backdrops matching the original ceremony decor. These arrangements function as modern "impossible bouquets"a trope originating in 17th-century Dutch still-life painting where flowers from different seasons and geographies were rendered together in a single painting. Today, such arrangements are made physically possible through global trade routes and industrial agriculture.
By stripping away the politicians, pens, and official documents, Simon isolates the decorative props of diplomacy, showing how political agreements are visually staged, marketed, and performatively validated. The work connects the "will of capital" directly to the control of nature. The global flower trade, where living organisms are grown, shipped, and commodified across continents merely to sit briefly at a signing table, serves as a metaphor for the far-reaching economic policies drafted in those very rooms. nIn addition to large-format photographic still lifes, the broader project includes botanical herbarium specimens, dried, pressed, and sewn onto archival paper, paired with text summaries detailing the real-world political and economic consequences of each signed accord.
Paperwork and the Will of Capital highlights Simon's signature approach: combining rigorous archival research, taxonomic classification, and polished aesthetics to expose hidden systems of authority, bureaucracy, and international governance.