Exhibition
Part of Out of Office8 Hours Labour – Limited Term Appointment
Sam Meech
(England)
2023, Knitted textile banner, video documentation, contract
8 Hours Labour – Limited Term Appointment is a machine knitting performance highlighting the exploitative culture of overwork in academia. Building on previous works, (Punchcard Economy, 8 Hours Labour), the artist knits a banner with the text ‘8 Hours Labour’ over the course of 8 hours, on a hacked domestic knitting machine. The banner design incorporates data from people working in academia, showing the amount of work they do beyond a typical 8-hour day contract, expressed as inverted stitches