In 1928, the economist John Maynard Keynes began composing the essay, “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren,” in which he expressed economic optimism and predicted a future of enjoyed leisure. Envisioning a 15-hour work week, Keynes implied we would be able to devote the rest of our time to improving social relations and well-being. Nearly one hundred years later, everyone is still working and wishing for a full 40-hour job.
Whether working as a matter of survival, of duty, of identity, or all of the above, most individuals are still defined by their occupation. Fluctuations in employment rates; weakened unions; fears of rising unemployment due to automation; the surge of the gig economy; the adoption of coworking spaces, paralleled by the proliferation of ‘all-inclusive’ company campuses; all these phenomena are both cause and consequences of the fact that the nature of work has shifted. Reflecting on our changing political and social landscape, we will question who works, and what it means to work today.
Join a nuanced conversation in this MoMA R&D Salon hosted by Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture & Design and Director of Research & Development at MoMA, with speakers (in alphabetical order):
Angela Dimayuga: The creative director of food and culture for the Standard International hotel group, overseeing the hotel’s restaurants, as well as leading programming that combines food, music, art, and activism.
Anand Giridharadas: A writer, and most recently the author of “Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,” published by Knopf in 2018.
Josh Kline: A New York based artist, who works primarily in sculpture, video, and installation, to create artworks and exhibitions that consider the ways in which our humanity has been transformed, commodified, and instrumentalized within neoliberal society.
Beth Noveck: Directs the Governance Lab (GovLab) and its MacArthur Research Network on Opening Governance. She is a Professor in Technology, Culture, and Society and affiliated faculty at the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering and a Fellow at NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge.
Palak Shah: A social entrepreneur, a leader in the social movement for workers’ rights in the new economy, a speaker and thought leader on the future of work, and the Social Innovations Director of NDWA.
Mierle Laderman Ukeles: The official, unsalaried Artist-in-Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation since 1977. Through this position she has created art that deals with the endless maintenance and service work that “keeps the city alive.”
The presentations are accompanied by a series of 1-minute videos cut specifically for Salon 31.
MoMA Research & Development provides information and critical tools to identify and explore new directions and opportunities for MoMA and the broader museum field. Learn more: http://momarnd.moma.org/salons/
MoMA R&D is made possible by Allianz.
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The comments and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speakers alone, and do not represent the views of The Museum of Modern Art, its personnel, or any artist.
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