From the factory to the office, and from the studio to the streets, ‘Work, Work, Work’ brings together artworks from across the globe that respond to the ideas of work and labour. The concept of ‘work’ expands beyond the eight-hour working day, as artists explore how we invest time and effort in education, the creation of artworks and the importance of social engagement. The artworks pose questions on the salient issues of our time: what impact does technology have on jobs? How does work bind people together? And what forms of labour does political engagement demand?
The exhibition features creative output across media: some artists use photography and video to document people at their day jobs and to study the architecture of our working environments; while others create sculptures and installations from industrial materials and the motifs of bureaucracy. Regardless of the medium employed, these artists reflect the influences of the workplace on society, and those of society on the workplace.
Image: Kim Hung Il, Artist, North Korea (DPRK) b.1965 / Kang Yong Sam, Artist, North Korea (DPRK) b.1956 / Work team contest 2009 / Glass tessera tiles / 350 x 570cm / Purchased 2009. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation Grant / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © The artists
