Work like this

Bringing together artists, activists, and the collective, Justice for Domestic Workers, this event will explore the relationship between domestic labour and artists practice, specifically in relation to visibility and value. This event will explore how strategies of art production and distribution can inform and support social movements related to labour and visibility.

The domestic sphere has long been the site of struggle for the visibility of domestic work, a struggle continually taken up and made visible by artists. Recently issues of visibly related to the sphere of domestic labour intersect with issues related to migration, globalisation, and labour laws. Contributors are: Justice for Domestic Workers, Andrea Franke, and Werkermagazine (Marc Roig Blesa and Rogier Delfos).

This event is in collaboration with The Showroom.

Following the discussion there will be a screening of Nightcleaners by Berwick Street Film Collective in the Starr Auditorium

Werker

Werker is a collaboration between Marc Roig Blesa (visual artist) and Rogier Delfos (graphic designer), both based in Amsterdam. Up to date it has been produced and/or distributed in: Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam 2009. CASZuidas, Amsterdam 2009. La Virreina Centre de la Imatge, Barcelona 2011. Casco (Office for Art Design and Theory), Utrecht 2011. Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam, 2011. Scapegoat Journal, Canada 2012. Matadero Madrid, 2012. Ellen de Bruijne Projects, Amsterdam 2012. Espai Cultural Caja Madrid, Barcelona 2012. The NY ArtBook Fair, 2012 and The Showroom, London 2013. Werker Magazine is a contextual publication about photography and labour that inquires into the possibility of formulating a contemporary representation of work. In which forms does work appear in post-fordist society? What representations of labour are being produced nowadays? Is it possible to activate collective practices of self-representation? For what purpose? For which audience?

Andrea Francke

Andrea Francke was born in Peru and is currently based in London. She is currently developing two main research projects. Invisible spaces of parenthood: A collection of pragmatic propositions for a better future explores issues surrounding childcare in collaboration with local nurseries, childminders, children’s centres and parent groups, and looks for new models and possibilities. It uses 60s and 70s DIY culture as a frame of reference to question political, pedagogical, social and economical structures around parenting. The Piracy Project, a collaboration with Eva Weinmayr as part of the AND Publishing program (2011–13), is an exploration of the philosophical, legal and practical implications of book piracy. She was a recipient of the Red Mansion Art Prize (2011) and a Communnal Knowledge resident at The Showroom gallery in London (2012). She is currently an artist in residency at CCA Derry – Londonderry and developing Read + Talk + Make, an Arts Admin commission for the Two Degrees Festival in London.

Justice for Domestic Workers

Justice for Domestic Workers (J4DW) was established in 2009 and is supported by Unite the Union. It is an organisation of migrant domestic workers who work in private houses in the UK, and is active in campaigning to restore and improve the rights for domestic workers and for making domestic work visible in society. Marissa Begonia, coordinator of Justice for Domestic Workers was involved in the ILO C189, ‘Decent Work for Domestic Workers’ negotiations at the invitation of TUC, Unite the Union and other campaigns involving J4DW.