From November 14 to 24, 2024, an innovative exhibition entitled "Corporate Unwellness" will take place in a vacant office at Dornbacher Straße 59 in Vienna's 17th district. Organized by the newly founded artist collective "Schindel LLC", the show sheds light on the complex and often stressful aspects of the modern workplace. Given the increasing importance of home offices and digital working, the exhibition reflects over 50 artistic positions that address everyday office life as a place of alienation, isolation and creative potential.
The exhibition addresses the office workplace not only as a physical space, but also as a social construction shaped by productivity pressure and social expectations. The organizers, Paula Oberndorfer and Esther Stern, have set themselves the task of combining the perspectives of artists from Austria and internationally in order to paint a comprehensive picture of the current challenges. At a time when many people are working from home and the boundaries between work and private life are blurring, the workplace is often perceived as a "non-place".
The rooms in which the exhibition takes place were deliberately chosen. The sober and functional office structures offer a sharp contrast to the usual, often sterile exhibition spaces. Here, art is presented in a context that comes close to the social reality of many workplaces. Artistic works in the form of painting, sculpture, ceramics, prints, drawings and digital media invite visitors to think about the dystopia and utopia of modern working environments.
The exhibition is complemented by a curated feature focusing on digital and post-digital art. "A Cubical, Terminal", directed by Helena McFadzean, features works by artists such as Morgane Billuart and Meltem Rukiye Calisir, who explore the attention economy and changing perceptions of work in platform capitalism. It highlights how much the art scene itself has evolved and found new forms of expression in the digital age.
supporting program and significance for the art scene
The opening of the exhibition will take place on November 14, 2024 from 17:00 p.m. to 22:00 p.m., complemented by a supporting program that promotes dialogue between art and viewers. Visitors have the opportunity to view the exhibition on different days, which underlines the accessibility and interaction with the works of art. The temporary use of the office as an exhibition space not only highlights the themes of alienation and isolation, but also the current challenges in the real estate market, in particular the increase in vacancies in urban areas.
"Corporate Unwellness" not only offers an insight into artistic reactions to the modern workplace, but also stimulates critical discussions about the future of work and the role of art in these processes. With this exhibition, the "Schindel LLC" collective shows how art and society can interact with each other and the importance of art for understanding current social challenges.
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