I have always considered what I do as far removed from normal forms of work. The creative process, which is a key aspect of artistic work, is indeed very different from the established modes of production and labor relations defined by the capitalist economic system. Because the essence of artistic practice is the discovery of something that we do not necessarily know, it is less burdened by predetermined procedures than many other labor practices. The space between intention and result is therefore fluid, playful, and thus potentially offers a perception of a different world (a way out of the system, out of the routine), and a decolonization of the imagination, not only for performers but also for the audience.
In my case, my body is the main “working” tool: the sediments of my memory and life experiences, feelings, intuitions, emotions all of which I call upon in the creative (work?) process. I often do this in a group, and this aspect is particularly important for me and defines another specificity of artistic creation. Every now and then, a heterogeneous and temporary community forms around an artistic project, breathing together for a certain period of time. The commitment to the exploration of abstract ideas and the corporeality associated with them, the desire for exchange that also brings conflicts, disagreements, the search for solutions, represents the practice of collectivity in the best sense of the word. In doing work that is tantamount to practicing collectivity, I feel instances of deep satisfaction, happiness, and a momentary sense of being.
The work of the stage artist is double work, because it is the work of the artist and the work of the audience, which in the moment of contact dissolves again and again. What remains is an invisible collective work.
Let’s Work! (2022
–2023) deals with the problem of work. It invites us, through various artistic situations set in specific environments, to reflect on the meaning and value of work, the ways in which we experience work in everyday life, and how art is at work. In the first chapter (2022), artworks are contextualized in locations that play a constructive role in society in terms of the formulation of labor policies, and more specifically the formulation of strategies in the field of cultural labor, in public services that respond to labor problems, in institutions that educate the upcoming workforce, and in spaces that play a role in contemporary art practices. The spatial and temporal positioning of works for (re)viewing by both institutional staff and invited and casual visitors aims to widen the field of visibility of the artwork and its reception. In the second chapter (2023), the artworks will be presented in their entirety in exhibition and performance formats.
