DAY LABORER

2024, murales, cooperation with Guadalupe Aldrete, Marko Marković und Raphael Reichl, curated by Ursula Maria Probst and produced Nina Vobruba at FLUCC, Vienna, Austria

The term “day laborer” is widely associated with people who, due to unemployment, immigration status, race or gender, are forced to work for a day in an underpaid and unprotected job. Traditionally, employers select day laborers at certain unofficial locations and bring them to the workplace, called the “labor line”. This labor model appears to be a past practice that meets both supply and demand for labor. However, currently, “mini-jobs”, “project-based jobs” or “employed on a case-by-case basis” are indicative of this type of employment. This concept favors employers’ profits, but leaves employees without additional benefits such as social security. A lack of opportunities for advancement, repetitive tasks or physically demanding jobs with relatively low wages requires extreme short-termism. The day laborer concept had an impact on other work models.

The DAY LABORER project combines the reflections of four artistic positions, discussing the regression of workers’ rights, working conditions in times of late capitalism and the return of right-wing politics, with a particular focus on the vulnerability of cultural workers. Collective CRAFT was collaborating with the performance artist Guadalupe Aldrete (MX/DE), the performance artist Marko Marković (HR/AT) and the filmmaker Raphael Reichl (AT/MX).  

EXTENSION: The murals can be seen in the public space at the FLUCC from December 2024 to April 2025. More information and pictures from the opening follow the link.

Booklet, english: DAY LABORER Booklet_by CRAFT_EN

Sound piece to the murales by CRAFT:  Day Laborer

credits: 1.-3. photo: Manuela Picallo Gil, Oscar Cueto, Raphael Reichl; 4.-6. photo: Michael L. Plessl, Oscar Cueto, Oscar Cueto; 7.-9. photo: Oscar Cueto, Raphael Reichl, Manuela Picallo Gil; 10.-12. photo: Oscar Cueto, Michael L. Plessl, Doris Steinbichler; 13.-15. photo: Manuela Picallo Gil, Michael L. Plessl, Oscar Cueto; 16.-18. photo: Oscar Cueto, Denise Parizek, Manuela Picallo Gil