are consuming or are we being consumed?

This mural, located at a bustling junction in central Bucharest, challenges viewers to reflect on the relationship between consumption and control. Depicting a young woman wearing a plastic bag with “Thank You” printed across it, the image asks: “Are we consuming, or are we being consumed?” It confronts the overwhelming pace at which we devour resources, information, and goods, often without questioning whether we’re in control or merely being swept along by the relentless tide of consumption.

Through its bold imagery and poignant question, the mural highlights the paradox of modern life: we consume to maintain a cycle we can barely sustain, yet sometimes it feels like we’re consuming simply for the sake of it.

It asks whether we are driving this process or if something larger is pulling the strings.

By placing this powerful street art piece in such a crowded urban space, it forces passersby to confront their role in the cycle of consumption and consider what, if anything, is truly in their control.