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MWRA is the acronym for the absurdly bureaucratic term ‘Mandatory Work Related Activities’ invented by the government to describe the manual labour unemployed people will be forced to do as part of the Work for Your Benefits scheme. People on the scheme will effectively be paid less than 2 pence per minute for their work, one sixth of the National Minimum wage.
Julika Gittner’s materialises two typical ‘Mandatory Work Related Activities’ - gardening and picking up litter - into interactive sculptures. The objects are shaped to direct the audience to automatically perform the work movements accompanied by a one minute soundtrack.
The objects will be exhibited in front of the local Jobcentre in Eccles for one day. The work will be accompanied by members of the Salford Unemployed Workers Union and the general public will be invited to perform the ‘Mandatory Work Related Activities’.
Monday 21rst March, 12-4pm, Jobcentre, Peel House, Albert Street, Eccles, M30 0NA.
The video documentation of the day will be shown alongside the objects at Islington Mill as part of the MERZMAN Closing Cabaret on Saturday 26th March.
On Thursday 24th Julika will be talking with Roger Cardinal about Extreme forms of artmaking at the Islington Mill. 
Julika Gittner is an artist and an architect. Using sculpture, performance and video she creates 'social portraits' which dissect and materialize human economic activity. Her most recent series of works have translated bureaucratic texts into absurdly ‘functional’ sculptures which had the potential to be used as didactic tools. As part of the art group Scare in the Community she curates art events that directly relate to physical and social contexts including ‘The Stones of Menace’ (2010) which explored the role of art in relation to housing and regeneration. Her art works have been shown internationally, including: Shanghai Himalaya Art Museum, Shanghai, (2010), S1, Sheffield (2010), Flat Time House, London (2010), Paradise Row Gallery, London (2009), Updating Germany, La Biennale di Venezia (2008), Cabaret Voltaire – DADA Haus, Zürich (2008)
Julika Gittner
Artist in residence at Islington Mill
Date
18th to 31st March 2011
Artist
Julika Gittner
MERZ BARN.net
Background
Kurt Schwitters
The Merzbarn
The Merzbauten
Project development
Media and events
Location
Links
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Venue
Copyright © 2011 by LITTORAL. All rights reserved. LITTORAL is a non-profit arts trust which promotes new creative partnerships, critical art practices and cultural strategies in response to issues about social, environmental and economic change. LITTORAL 42, Lodge Mill Lane, Turn Village, Ramsbottom BL0 0RW, UK. Tel/Fax: +44 (0)1706 827 961 e-mail:Ian@littoral.org.uk.