"Ne travaillez jamais!" #3 ("Never Work!"): with the text "The paradox of art and work: an irritating note" by Lars Bang Larsen (in English), published in Work, Work, Work, A Reader on Art and Labour, ed: Sternberg Press, 2012. For this third reading workshop, we will raise the problematic and fundamental question: "is art a work/labour?". By argumenting this way: "A: art as work/labour" and "B: art is not work/labour",the author is not playing on the classical figures of thesis/antithesis, but demonstrate the paradox of art as work, which, as soon as it seems solved, raises new questions. This paradox lays is in the very process of defining art and work/labour. Using artist Ad Reinhardt formula "art is art-as-art", the author suggests that art might not be defined by any other reference than itself. This workshop will be the occasion to go together throughout the different definitions of these two notions, and thus building the base for a mutual and shared understanding of those two concepts.

To participate in the workshop and to receive the text "The paradox of art and work: an irritating note" by Lars Bang Larsen, please contact Clara Gensburger : c.gensburger@leslaboratoires.org

"Ne travaillez jamais!" ("Never Work!") a reading and discussion workshop open to all! While waiting for the Printemps des Laboratoires #2 (May 2014) focusing on the subject of "art and work", we propose a reading group to exchange ideas and come to grips with what is at the core of this rich issue, through monthly sessions and a body of literature supported by other material – texts, objects, films, documents, etc. We could discuss, among other things, the choice that some artists make to orient their practice to immaterial work, processing information and inhabiting social networks. In our reflection we will also include the question of remuneration and what it means, examining the specific cases of artists’ unions, studying the role of the artist as belonging to a capitalist semi-feudal system or occupying an oppressed and marginalized position, and many roles in between.

The meetings take place every second Tuesday of the month. This reading workshop is free and open to all: no specific knowledge is required, only the desire to read and participate to discussions!