A conversation about capital, labour, the working practices of artists, and the future of work
This conversation, programmed and chaired by Artquest, looked at the themes of the residency, the working practices of artists, and the future of work. You can hear a recording of the conversation above.
Held in Block 336, and part of the ART/WORK residency in February 2019. The ART/WORK residency was supported by the Finnish Institute in London. It was a 5 week artist residency and exhibition for an artist based in Finland. It was for an artist to make work around the themes of work and labour, and how these are valued and expressed in wider society. It was timed to coincide with the end of Finland’s Universal Basic Income trial.
The panel was chaired by Russell Martin, director of Artquest, and was made up of:
- Anu Suhonen, a Helsinki-based visual artist who works mainly with video, photography and installations. She was awarded the ART/WORK residency. Her project, Process Accelerator 2.0, presented a factory that chases maximum productivity, satirically reflecting on late capitalism’s push for constant economic growth. Like a snake eating its own tail at an ever-increasing pace, Process Accelerator 2.0 explored technological advancement, mass-production, and short-lifespan goods, considering the effects this vicious circle has on the environment and its limited resources.
- Alice Martin was Head of Work and Pay at the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and led projects on the future of work and trade unions. Alice worked on NEF’s shorter working week campaign, and on collective bargaining/worker power. She was a regular guest on the NEF Weekly Economics Podcast and wrote a book on trade unions in the 21st century.