Isabelle Byfleet

Luxury, necessity & access

My work explores wealth inequality and how wealth shapes what we have access to, what we value, and how we see ourselves and others. In Aotearoa New Zealand, owning a home has become out of reach for many, while wealth continues to accumulate for others. I am drawn to beautiful and expensive things, so I wanted to question why we desire them and what we overlook because of that desire.

Using video, sound, text and installation, I filmed luxury items alongside everyday necessities against a black background, giving them a polished, appealing look. A burning candle marks time passing, a reminder that time does not necessarily mean progress. Underneath, the voices of politicians and public figures discuss a wealth tax, connecting the imagery to real political debate.

Pio Abad's Beautiful Things Can Be Vessels for Painful Stories and Dineke Jensen's The Housing Thing shaped my thinking about what objects represent and how issues are presented.

A red velvet rope extends the work into the space, creating a barrier so viewers experience restricted access. I want people to question why we value wealth and status when something as basic as a home is out of reach for so many.