Work Now
With The ‘Work Now‘ exhibition, Z33 wishes to reflect upon the concept and meaning of ‘work’ in our present society. Not such an inappropriate choice, considering current events. The present crisis has people thinking about their jobs. But also in times of economic growth it is not unwise to reflect upon how our labour is organised and structured, why this is, and how this influences our perception of work. ‘Work’ does not only take most of our available time, it often defines our sense of identity in an important way.
The (art) Works in ‘Work Now’ throw light, each in their own way, on the how and why of today’s work in our society. Issues such as flexibility, mobility, motivation, significance, and the work-life balance are dealt with. The art works in ‘Work Now’ are direct or ambiguous, whimsical or dead serious, but always well-founded and critical.
Do we wish to partake in the discourse pertaining to ‘work’ as it is presented to us? Do we want our daily occupations to be meaningful or is there room for meaningless work as well? Is there room only for creative, self-disciplined people with a flexible attitude or are there other ways to ‘work’? What does this mean in terms of an overall economic and societal model?
‘Work Now’ does not pretend to answer these questions, but aims to provoke thought.
Work Now is curated by Karen Verschooren (Z33).
The artists are:
Dan Perjovschi, Nancy Davenport, Theo Deutinger, Aaron Koblin, Molleindustria, Hella Jongerius, Martí Guixé, reinigungsgesellschaft & Miklós Erhardt, Atelier Van Lieshout, Santiago Sierra, Rossella Biscotti, Artur Zmijewski, Richard Baker & Alain de Botton, Mika Rottenberg, Anatoly Osmolovsky, Julien Prévieux, Helmut Stallaerts, Oliver Ressler, Barry McGee, Helmut & Johanna Kandl