Between 1908 and 1914, American industrialist Henry Ford introduced the assembly line. In 1921, Soviet poet-engineer Alexei Gastev was commissioned by Lenin to develop the Social Engineering Machine: a device that turned farmers into labourers. During the initial decade of the 21st century, we struggled with the problem of how to turn bureaucrats into creatives. Nowadays, we want to trump robots and industrial superpowers by producing locally, sustainably and in a self-sufficient manner.

We are also becoming increasingly productive. On average, in 1900, people slept 10 hours a day. In 1980, people slept for 8 hours and now, in 2013, we only sleep for an average of 6 hours a day. On the other hand, our consumption of coffee, tea, amphetamines, energy drinks, chocolate and other stimulants has increased. In the office environment, the coffee machine has become the focal point for chatting and decision making. And not without reason. Caffeine creates stress which makes the mind desire stability which it finds in protocols and order. Coffee is the ultimate office drug.

During the Impakt Festival, the Nootropics Bar will study the ways in which people make themselves and others work. A brief history and a long preview of the malleability of productiveness and creativity.

The Nootropics Bar is part of the Work Songs programme curated by Monnik.

More information:
www.arnehendriks.net / www.partizanpublik.nl