Work. Meaning and Care

The exhibition "Work. Meaning and Care" was the final event in the Federal Cultural Foundation's "Future of Labour" programme. Since 2006 the programme has featured numerous theatre, performance and film projects, readings and discussions, all of which have addressed the cultural repercussions of changes in the work world.

This exhibition posed fundamental questions concerning work. For example, how do we differentiate between work and recreation? What is the purpose of work in a capitalistic society? How does one's personal attitude toward work develop? What is the meaning of work beyond power, money and recognition? And what are our options in the work world of tomorrow? In addition to viewing work against the background of societal and global developments, the exhibition placed a strong emphasis on the perspective of the individual, the personal anxiety connected to earning one's living, finding fulfilment and social recognition, and last but not least, the function of work as a meaningful activity.
Specially developed film and video installations comprise the central design elements that formed the space of the exhibition. These were supplemented by five archetypical objects (jug, hammer, shoe, paper and doll) which were tracked to demonstrate how diverse human work and its products are, depending on the perspective. Throughout all the exhibition rooms, visitors could view a touch-screen of statistics with over 100 interviews and utilize an interactive interface that provided background information about work. A game of dominoes, which the visitors themselves completed while progressing through the exhibition, used basic terminology to help familiarize them with the work world.
The exhibition was accompanied by an extensive programme comprised of lectures, conferences, workshops and educational events that was especially targeted at youngsters and young adults who are in the process of choosing a profession.

Exhibition design: chezweitz & roseapple, Berlin

An exhibition by the Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden. A project in the "Future of Labour" programme, initiated by the Federal Cultural Foundation, curated by the Praxis für Ausstellungen und Theorie [Hürlimann | Lepp | Tyradellis], sponsored by the German Federal Employment Agency

Venues and schedule:
June 25, 2009 - July 11, 2010 German Hygiene Museum Dresden