'The Social Engine - Exploring Flexibility'

a research- and exhibition project on the cultural and social implications of flexible work forms

in co-operation with Miklós Erhardt

The project was summarised in a comprehensive publication. It contains contributions by Guillaume Paoli (theoretician/Berlin), Brian Holmes (art theoretician/Paris), Prof. Endre Sik (sociologist/Budapest) and Prof. Peter Richter (work-psychologist, Dresden).

The project uses methodologies from the fields of sociology and work psychology, integrated into the art practice and involves Partners from the fields of economy and social sciences. It is realized in co-operation with the Hungarian artist Miklós Erhardt.

The project makes a theme of the influence of flexible concepts of work on the structure of society, in Germany and Hungary. It promotes a cognitive concept of art as a tool, whereby the main goal is to gain knowledge through questioning, and putting new perspectives on, the most pressing issues linking economy and society.
The project explores the concept of flexible work and life from the perspective of an artistic discourse. It investigates on the special role of new concepts and practices of labour introduced by global economy in transforming existing social networks and identities. The project also explores ways in which contemporary art can represent economic processes and serve as a pool of knowledge for social processes.

To give the project a solid scientific background, the artists have involved scientists. From Germany it is Peter G. Richter, professor of work psychology at the Institute of Work- and Social Psychology of the Technical University of Dresden. Also we have started a co-operation with Hungarian scientist, Prof. Endre Sík sociologist, senior researcher at the Faculty of Social Sciences, ELTE, Budapest.

On the Hungarian side, the presentation of the project's results is held in the Studio Gallery, the project and exhibition space of the Studio of Young Artists' Association, Budapest. The exhibition opens on 25th of May and continues till 23rd of June 2007.
On the German side, the presentation is held in the ACC Galerie, Weimar. It opens on 8th of June and continues till 12th of August, 2007.

Studio of Young Artists Association
Rottenbiller u. 35, H-1077 Budapest

Tel: 0036 - 1 - 342 53 80 Fax: 0036 - 1 - 342 53 80

ACC Weimar
Burgplatz 1+2, D-99423 Weimar

Tel: 0049 - 3643 - 851261 Fax: 0049 - 3643 - 851263
www.acc-weimar.de

 

'The Social Engine - Exploring Flexibility' evolves in the framework of Bipolar - German/Hungarian cultural projects. Bipolar is an initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation.