How Will We Work?

I was assistant curator for the exhibition at the Angewandte Innovation Laboratory (AIL) in Vienna as part of the 2017 Vienna Biennale. -- One of the most significant societal shifts currently taking place is the transformation of what it means to work and to be a worker. The impetus for this shift is relentless technological acceleration, driven by geopolitical conditions and the free market. Rampant innovations in areas like automation and data management, the backdoor deregulation of the labour market by technology companies like Uber, Handy and Deliveroo make for an atmosphere of anxiety, fear and hopelessness. From the Internet of Things to artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, drones, and 3D printing: the pace of change to the way work is unprecedented. The exhibition explores how educational institutions and the cultural sector can use their creativity and influence to develop forward-looking alternatives to the emerging status quo. In this area of study and industry, new thinking, research and ideas are emerging almost every day. Policies such as universal basic income and the four day working week are exploring a different meaning of the terms “work” and “worker.” It is against this backdrop that How Will We Work? interrogates the contemporary, contributes to the wider public discourse, and asks: What can we do to shape this new frontier, before it shapes us? The show opened to the public on the 21st June 2017 and will run through to 27th September at the Angewandte Innovation Laboratory (AIL) 3 Franz Josefs Kai, Vienna. Featuring works by: Morehshin Allahyari & Daniel Rourke, automato.farm, Stephan Bogner & Philipp Schmitt, Perry Chen, Common Works, Design Friction, Alicia Eggert, Harun Farocki, Laura Forlano, Marshall Brown, Lili Du, Ron Henderson & Jack Guthman, Lukas Franciszkiewicz (Takram), Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Anne Galloway & Dani Clode, Ian Gwilt & Joe Rolph, Sara Hendren & Caitrin Lynch, Het Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam, Daniel Kloboucnik, Maximilian Lackner, Sam Lavigne, Lemmings, Liquid Factory, Joe Macleod, Nicholas Masterton, Tim Maughan, Me You and the Robot, Ivica Mitrović & Oleg Šuran, Charlotte Nordmoen, Normally, (OFFTIME), Johanna Pichlbauer, Fabio Hofer, Felix Lenz & Jekaterina Shipilenko, Tobias Revell, Strange Telemetry, The UK Digital Cabinet Office and Government Digital Service, unMonastery, and Addie Wagenknecht. With text contributions from: Luciano Floridi, Karen Gregory, Scott Santens, Scott Smith, Nick Srnicek, Alex Taylor, Judy Wajcman Curators: Anab Jain (Director & Co-Founder Superflux, Professor of Industrial Design, University of Applied Arts Vienna) Gerald Bast (President, University of Applied Arts Vienna) Assistant Curators: Jake Charles Rees (Superflux), Martina Schöggl (University of Applied Arts Vienna) Exhibition Management (AIL): Alexandra Graupner, Philomena Strack, Eva Weber and Nico Wind Exhibition Design: Cin Cin & Rainer Stadlbauer Exhibition Set Up: Museumsstandard (Oliver Ottenschläger) Technical Support: Anna Vasof Images: LEYA D Photography and Susanna Hofer.