Abstract
This article responds to recent lamentations about the waning of utopia. Through an explanation of different concepts of utopia and an analysis of a recent shopping mall development project, the article shows how utopia has been appropriated by commercial actors. Drawing on the work of Herbert Marcuse and Giorgio Agamben and with the help of the Homeric allegory of the lotus eaters and contemporary popular culture, the article analyzes this state of affairs. It argues that an important part of the perceived decline of utopia is due to its commodification and that utopia, with the potential of being a ‘means without end’, is in need of what Agamben calls ‘profanation.’
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