WORK, WORK, WORK
A series of seminars on Art and Labour at Iaspis
Iaspis, Swedish Arts Grants Committee
Maria skolgata 83, 2nd floor
Stockholm, Sweden
www.iaspis
The first seminar treats contemporary and historical images of labour, and reflects on what type of “worker” the artist could be. On the Conditions of Production brings up the organisation of work within the art world. The third seminar discusses what role art can play—politically and socially—in relation to the public realm and spatiality. Artists, curators, activists, architects and researchers are contributing to the seminars.
The program is curated by Michele Masucci (artist), Annika Enqvist, Cecilia Widenheim and Jonatan Habib Engqvist (Iaspis). For further information www.iaspis.se
Seminar#1: Representations of Labour
20 November 10 am – 6 pm
What is the image of work? How and by whom has this image been produced? What are the means of production involved in artistic representations of workers, workers movements and the workplace? What are the theoretical and practical challenges in these representations? How is the role of the artist presented and what kind of “worker” is the artist? The seminar addresses what work is and has been through experiences of work and questions concerning migration, economy, class and technology.
Participants include: Annika Eriksson (artist, Berlin), Kirsten Forkert (artist/researcher, London), Ingela Johansson (artist, London), Stefan Jonsson (writer, Stockholm), Maria Lind (curator, Stockholm), Sarat Maharaj (writer, London/Malmö), Pratchaya Phinthong (artist, Bangkok), Joanna Sokolowska (curator, Lodz), Nina Svensson (artist, Stockholm)
Seminar#2: On the Conditions of Production
27 November 2 pm – 6 pm
28 November 10 am – 5 pm
A two day workshop hosted by a research group initiated by BAC (Baltic Art Center) in Visby. What are the general terms of production in society at large? How does economy, cultural politics and media relate to art? What does alienation imply in an increasingly socially oriented production process? What is the distribution of labour within the art world; what are the pros and cons of today’s system? Could one imagine an open working process, independent from predefined expectations? How can one organise a production-based residency today? The Open Call for Contributions aims at opening the ongoing research process and add to the discussion. In order to contribute and participate, please register by email to ontheconditionsofproduction@gmail.com
Participants include: Kajsa Dahlberg (artist, Berlin), Kim Einarsson (director Konsthall C, Stockholm/Berlin), Mattìn (artist, Berlin), Michele Masucci (artist, Stockholm), Lisa Rosendahl (director BAC, Visby/Berlin), Fredrik Svensk (writer and critic, Göteborg), Alexei Penzin (philosopher, Moscow) and contributing practitioners.
Seminar#3: Art for Social and Spatial Change
3 December, 5 – 9 pm
4 December, 10.30 am – 5.30 pm
Two days revolving around the question of what it means to take action today. The conversations include intersectional perspectives on labour and the so-called creative industry. What are our possibilities to act within an artistic practice in social, spatial and political change? In what way are conflicts concerning work expressed in the workspace and in society? How is public space staged in the private? How can emancipatory political projects such as the feminist and queer movements separate themselves from an increasing commodification of political and social subjects? Is it possible to imagine a “movement” in the sense of a collective process of the transformation of reality today?
Participants include: Lars Bang Larsen (writer and curator, Barcelona), Franco Berardi (researcher, Bolongna), Ana Betancour (professor architecture, Göteborg), Catharina Gabrielsson (architect and reseacher, Stockholm), Helena Mattsson (ass. professor and architect, Stockholm), Raqs Media Collective (artists and activists, New Dehli), Nina Power (researcher, Roehampton) and Judith Revel (philosopher, Paris) among others.
On display, “Chinese Business” by Mladen Stilinović (Iaspis, 2009)
The series takes place at Iaspis in relation to the exhibition Image at Work produced
by XpoSeptember in collaboration with Index, The Romanian Culture Institute and Moderna Museet.
*Image above:
Courtesy Mladen Stilinović.
