Office Sweet Home
2019
Photo installation
Framed pigment print, series of 15 photos, various sizes, engraved text, embroidered text, metal supports, table, 3 deck chairs, Forget Me Not, framed flower seeds, 29.5 x 37.5 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Temnikova & Kasela Gallery
Souvenirs of the False Vacationer
2019
47 souvenir plates, text on glass and wall, different sizes, ongoing
Courtesy of the artist and Temnikova & Kasela Gallery
The name of the exhibition False Vacationer came from the Roland Barthes essay “The Writer on Holiday”, in which he looked at writers as the bourgeoisie might see them—as false workers, who by the same token can also only be false holiday-makers. In the knowledge-based economy, the borders between work and leisure time have become more complicated, creativity has become an integral part of more than just the cultural field, and it takes a concerted effort to disengage even for a moment from one’s professional or working life.
Contemporary work culture requires people to be on call at all times. In the West, working has a strong moral side, so not working sends a signal that the person must be seriously ill or that they are somehow deviant. And so, even though we might not notice it, our free time is spent working, looking for work, getting ready to do work, thinking and worrying about work. The borders between work and leisure are also blurred by the fact that the interior design of offices has become increasingly comfortable and pleasant and that home offices have become widespread. These spatial changes create a cooler, chiller atmosphere, but is that freedom empowering for the worker or just an illusion?
Office Sweet Home focuses on the invisible aspects of work within the example of a contemporary office environment. Souvenirs of the False Vacationer is an ongoing artwork. It is a collection of ideas and keywords from various texts about work and holidaying.
https://www.ekkm.ee/naitused/i-exhibition-19/
Artist’s Bio:
Sigrid Viir (1979) is a photo and installation artist based in Tallinn. As an artist, she is interested in social contracts, moral norms and rules: the default “everyday tools” that are used to make societies function, though their use often remains unnoticed because of their ostensible naturalness. In addition to her solo projects, she is also a member of the Visible Solutions LLC artists collective.