The work of Cristina Lucas (b. 1973, Jaen) is often the culmination of extensive research through which she seeks to challenge historical, political and cultural cliches and identify contradictions in contemporary society. In Philosophical Capitalism (2014–16), a video installation comprising 70 interviews, Lucas focuses on the way actors from different economic sectors interpret philosophical, social and existential ideas relating to their professions. 'What does the concept of beauty mean for a plastic surgeon? What value does truth have for a lawyer? What does the idea of space represent for an architect?' The responses given by those interviewed all reveal a similar dynamic. Regardless of our professional field, each of
us is heavily influenced by the economic conventions dictated by a capitalist system. Through the world of work, Lucas suggests, capitalism conditions our way of thinking and our way of working. This pervasive model encourages individuals to modulate the training they have received in order to conform with the rules of business.