Free Work (Ephemera Vol. 13, No. 1)

The relationship between freedom and work is a complex one. For some, they are considered opposites: 'true' freedom is possible only once the necessity of work is removed, and a life of luxury attained. For others, work itself provides an opportunity to achieve a sense of freedom and authenticity. In recent years for example, advances in human resource management have promoted hard work, a deep sense of commitment to one's job, and the acceptance of working conditions that are ostensibly exploitative, as offering the promise of freedom. Recent corporate and entrepreneurial celebrations of playfulness also provide examples of the deep entanglement of contemporary forms of knowledge work with ideals of freedom. In this issue of ephemera, our contributors inquire into the relation between freedom and work. They ask, for example, whether it is even possible to free oneself from ideals of freedom? Or is the fantasy of an imagined place of freedom, the utopia in which no work taints our lives, simply too prevalent? It may be the case that in contemporary life, we fool ourselves yet further when we ask for freedom within our working life. But can we free ourselves from the very prospect of freedom? Posing these questions among others, this collection of pieces reflects an ephemera event that took place in Berlin-Kreuzberg in May 2011. At the Artitude Kunstverein, 55 scholars and artists gathered to discuss, and the ideas have been actively developed by authors and reviewers since. We invite you to read and enjoy, and look forward to these debates continuing beyond this issue. Issue editors: Armin Beverungen, Birke Otto, Sverre Spoelstra and Kate Kenny Contributors: Jana Costas, Susanne Ekman, Christian Maravelias, Joanna Figiel, Antonie Schmiz, Brigitte Biehl-Missal, Andrés Montenegro, Lisa Conrad, Nancy Richter, Abigail Schoneboom, Committee - The Free University of Liverpool, Valentina Desideri, Stefano Harney, Amit S. Rai, Helen Nicholson and Stephen Dunne.