Invisible Domestic Labour: The Dusting Frenetically Series

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name: Lamis / age: 29 / profession: Housework Practitioner / location: London / weekday: Monday / reference: ‘I perceive that the work we raise is not unique, nor isolated, that the air around it constitutes other surfaces, other grounds, other ceilings […] The work is not made only of itself: the outside exists. The outside shuts me in its whole which is like a room.’ Le Corbusier, Precisions, (New York: MIT Press, 1991) p.78.

Indonesian training centre for domestic helpers

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name: atherine / age: 44 / profession: teacher / location: Swansea / weekday: friday / reference: In 2005, Isabella stayed in a training agency in Jakarta – with over 700 other girls, all waiting to be sent to Singapore, Malaysia or Hong Kong as a domestic helper. Such training centres are compulsory, as Indonesian agencies claim all their applicants are given cooking and hygiene classes. Most importantly, the girls are also required to learn English. However, Isabella experienced very harsh living conditions in the centre. The days were very long, the girls had to wake up at 5 am, and they could only rest at 11 pm. There were not enough beds, the food was scarce and very basic, with little nutritional value. The centre was locked, and the girls were not allowed outside. They were not allowed to use their phone either. This training centre has been closed recently because it was also found out that under-aged girls were being contracted as a domestic helper. Isabella stayed in the centre 40 days before being sent to Singapore. As she started working, she was then charged 2280 Singapore dollars by the Indonesian agency, which means that for the first 6 months of her employment, her full salary was sent back to the agent and she did not receive any money.

heating

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name: maiko / age: 33 / profession: curator / location: amsterdam / weekday: thursday / reference: my friend’s place in berlin. finally got the fire burning after using the cardboard from the box that the logs came in, as tinder.

Invisible Domestic Labour: The Dusting Frenetically Series

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name: Lamis / age: 29 / profession: Housework Practitioner / location: London / weekday: Monday / reference: “I perceive that the work we raise is not unique, nor isolated, that the air around it constitutes other surfaces, other grounds, other ceilings […] The work is not made only of itself: the outside exists. The outside shuts me in its whole which is like a room.” Le Corbusier, Precisions, (New York: MIT Press, 1991) p.78.

walk to school in autumn

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name: Marissa / age: 41 / profession: domestic worker & coordinator / location: london / weekday: monday / reference: Walk to school is never boring in autumn…the leaves on the ground would smile and tell me, “OOOppss, watch-out! I would chose among these shapes of wonders and place in my book to keep them warm and safe. as my little girl would greet me with a very sweet smile as we walk home hand in hand. domestic work is work, such responsibility with love and affection with children and families we love and care for need recognition. families are the building block of every nation. justice for domestic workers (j4dw) is making domestic work visible in british society.

Sunflower

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name: Anacoreta / age: 57 / profession: domestic worker / location: amsterdam / weekday: wednesday / reference: there is always hope for domestic workers to have a better life, respect and to be recognized within society.

moving

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name: adam / age: 30 / profession: landscape architect / location: hong kong / weekday: friday / reference: cultural workers move/migrate for residencies, exhibitions, appointments, teaching, internships, etc.

Picture Work

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art wallsname: stephen / age: 61 / profession: curator & artist / location: de pere, wisconsin / weekday: once a month / reference: much like cleaning can really change the atmosphere in a positive way, I’ve also found that frequently changing the art on the walls of my home has a very invigorating effect. this might require making new art, getting your friends to loan you some, checking out thrift stores or buying art within your budget on the web. buy some of those cheap pop-out frames and you can easily exchange printed matter works with little hassle (i use photo-corners to temporarily hold the works in place). experiment with different ways of hanging the works—salon style works well in both a large or small living space. its easy to get stuck with the same old stuff on the walls—change it and you’ll see & feel the difference!

Action 4

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name: Flatten the Mountain (zoe & eira) / age: 26 / profession: Artist collaborative / location: London & Glasgow / weekday: friday / reference: sit on floor and expose lower leg

Arguing

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name: Lamis / age: 29 / profession: Housewerk practitioner / location: London / weekday: Sunday / reference: Luce Irigaray, How Can We Live Together in a Lasting Way, Key Writings, London: Continuum, 2004.

Action 3

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name: Flatten the Mountain (zoe & eira) / age: 26 / profession: Artist collaborative / location: London & Glasgow / weekday: thursday / reference: crouch on floor and cover body except feet and ankles

the inbetweens

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name: margarita / age: 27 /
location: amsterdam / weekday: tuesday / reference: everything before and after this breakfast table is domestic work. gathering, preparing, setting… then, gathering, cleaning, putting away. it is always bookended by these tasks, so you draw out the inbetween for as long as you can. (photograph of my grandfather and our daily breakfast ritual)

Invisible Domestic Labour: The Dusting Frenetically Series

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name: Lamis / age: 29 / profession: Housework Practitioner / location: London / weekday: Monday / reference: “I perceive that the work we raise is not unique, nor isolated, that the air around it constitutes other surfaces, other grounds, other ceilings […] The work is not made only of itself: the outside exists. The outside shuts me in its whole which is like a room.” Le Corbusier, Precisions, (New York: MIT Press, 1991) p.78.

Siesta

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siesta
name: Angela / age: 27 / profession: Artist & student / location: Madrid / weekday: Sunday / reference: When you wake up and then there is a war into your livingroom and you feel afraid of humans

self-portrait as a housewife

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name: Janneke / age: 30 / profession: Visual artist / location: London / day: saturday / reference: For my 30st birthday my parents gave me a beautiful bone china dinner set, which I took as symbolic hint to move away from my tiny appartment and start a family life. as to fortify that suggestion They also gave me a kitchen apron they had brought back with them from their holiday in Switzerland. so this is me giving my best immitation of a happy housewife.

rotting walls

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name: lucía / age: 35 / profession: artist / location: barcelona / weekday: thursday / reference: Storm. leaks and moisture. even water drops where they shouldn’t be, the owner shirks any repair. four layers of paint have been completely useless.

New work

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name: Sarah / age: 23 / profession: Student / location: Amsterdam / weekday: Friday / reference: My friend works for 2 days at the office and 3 days at home. Often when he works at home he sits slumped on the couch, and sometimes he only wears his bathrobe. They call this “new work”.

site-specific

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site-specificname: yuji / age: 26 / profession: student / location: madrid / weekday: wednesday / reference: waiting for the clothes to be dried at home, once you don’t wan’t to lose thirty minutes and 3,5 euros in a laundry.

x-mas

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144_Sunday_X-mas-768x1024name: Anacoreta / age: 57 / profession: domestic worker / location: amsterdam / weekday: sunday / reference: my family back home missing them too much. Long years of sacrifices.

bohemian odalisca studying at home

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calmluxe and voluptename: esther / age: 53 / profession: independent actionist artist and researcher / location: london / weekday: wednesday / reference: this picture is part of a series about work and studying at home as action and a sort of protest related to the constant making of art products that artist are some how lured on to by the capitalist art making machine. la boheme is at home, she reminds any modernist model of a male painter of the times past, but she is in fact in control and working, as the portrait is taken with a self timer camera on a tripod. She is like luxe, calm and volupté but her mind is very busy she can’t help to work to move to act on that supposed stillness of her coquete pose.

The house museum is a western concept

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name: andrea / age: 32 / profession: writer & part time bookseller / location: this time shanghai / weekday: saturday / reference: ladislau Hudec was shanghai’s most important art deco architect.  In China i slipped in his house, opened drawers, looked through the dusty windows and took this picture. next to its door, there is a plaque: “Residence of Hudec. Designed by ladislau hudec. built in 1930. masonry structure. english country house style”. according to my guide, now it’s a museum.

me and my cute dog

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name: tessie / age: 39 / profession: domestic helper / location: singapore / weekday: every sunday off / reference: I love my dog so much, even though i have lots of work i still find time to play with her, cos she needs love and attention.

christmas lantern

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name: wilma / age: 43 / profession: domestic worker & fundraiser / location: London / weekday: sunday /reference: this is my own creation made of recycled straw and paper. J4DW is working towards positive recognition and visibility of domestic work in british society.this is my way of remembering our own filipino tradition and this also help me to ease my loneliness of celebrating christmas away from my family and home with my justice 4 domestic workers (j4dw) family in the UK.

invisibility

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name: katayoun / age: 27 / profession: freelance writer, curator, translator / location: amsterdam / weekday: Wednesday / reference: mother wants to talk about cleaning

Action 2

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name: Flatten the Mountain (Zoe & Eira) / age: 26 / profession: Artist collaborative / location: London & Glasgow / weekday: wednesday / reference: hold towel up to head and obscure face

97 HOUSE MAIDS

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name: daniela / age: 30 / profession: artist / location: barcelona / weekday: monday / reference: 97 selected photographs showing groups of Peruvian high class people in daily domestic situations. In the background of each image one can see either a figure or a deletion of a domestic worker. All images have been collected from the social network site Facebook. Project by Daniela Ortiz.

trash can

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name: sarai / age: 24 / profession: graphic designer / location: amsterdam / weekday: sunday / reference: sunday night in front of the tv reorganizing the desktop of my computer. rename finished projects with a clear title for finding it back easier. cleaning ‘never using’ files by using the trash can. ’empty trash can’ rethink did i loose an important software or something?

Sewing

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name: Torkel / age: 30 / profession: cultural analyst and writer / location: Stockholm / weekday: wednesday / reference: photograph from the house where i grew up, taken by my father or my mother in 1982 or 1983.