The "Shards with Scenes from Recommender System Life" were created in collaboration with the Schlossmuseum Linz, focusing on Gmundner Ceramics. The basis of this work is the faience vessel "Jug with Scenes from the Shoemaker's Life" from 1750, which depicts stylized flower patterns interspersed with scenes portraying the skills and crafts of a shoemaker.
Today, the image of a craftsman is quite different from what it was 270 years ago. According to official records, the number of shoemakers in the handicraft sector in Upper Austria can now be counted on the fingers of one hand. Conversely, in the past decade and during the pandemic-imposed lockdowns, consumers have increasingly turned to the digital environment when searching for goods. In contrast to the 18th century, the manufacturer or craftsman no longer plays a central role in this process. During the pandemic, the sales of the mega-internet company Amazon increased by 38%. The largest online shops use software systems designed as automated recommendation services based on algorithms that aim to predict the interests of the consumer and offer products accordingly.

The "Shards with Scenes from Recommender System Life" complement the historical Gmundner ceramics flower pattern with scenes of shoe and clothing offers generated by Amazon's recommender system. The data for this system comes from Linda Luse's Amazon account sales history, collected by Amazon over the past five years. Screenshots of the offers were collected and arranged in patterns, which were then transferred to ceramic plates. This artwork highlights the increasing role of technology in shaping consumer behavior and the impact it has on traditional crafts and businesses.