Swiss Psychotropic Gold

More about the book

Up to 70% of the gold traded globally passes through Swiss refineries, often unnoticed by the public. This trade is intertwined with a long history of colonial and postcolonial entanglements, which remain largely obscured in public discourse. The Swiss narrative of neutrality masks the violent and complex realities of mining and trading, presenting them instead as orderly and discreet financial practices. Swiss trading has played a crucial role in both early industrialization and modern finance, shaping cultural, affective, and moral economies. This has not only contributed to Swiss wealth but also to national narratives of independence, safety, and white supremacy. In this hybrid media publication, gold and its entanglements serve as a lens to explore the hidden and often invisible paths of molecules, affects, and violence. It features knowbotiq’s artistic practice from the project "Swiss Psychotropic Gold" (2016-17) and includes contributions from collaborators. The work addresses issues such as illegal gold mining, racialized extraction processes, deep-sea mining, raw material politics, the alchemic trading of gold, the social history of molecules, molecular strikes, golden amnesia, and psychotropic refineries.