àngels barcelona

History of Art Workers series, 2020

Digital print in B/W ink on canvas
195 x 130 cm

(ENG) The series "History of Art Workers” explores the the Marxist question of representation and re-appropriation of production technology which, nowadays, is a question of visibility and hidden codes, robotic work and algorithms, an operating system and a language that controls it. Machines and algorithms will soon perform more tasks than humans, and once the industrial age is over we need a new global division of labour. Andújar's studio started this digitalization process a few years ago, through which all kinds of digital assistants (3D printers, robots etc) work on the most formal aspects of his work. Here the artist takes a famous line from a letter that Karl Marx sent in 1866 to François Lafargue, and was published in The Capital: "Labor in white skin cannot emancipate itself where the black skin is branded. (1); the slogan that appeared anonymously during an Art Workers' Coalition protest: "Art Workers Won't Kiss Ass"; or the widespread demand: "I am an Artist This does not mean, I will work for free, I have bills like you. Thank-you for understanding". All three pieces are accompanied by the source codes printed on paper that allow the robot to paint on the canvas

(CAST) La serie “History of Art Workers” explora la temática marxista de la representación y reapropiación de la tecnología de producción que hoy en día es una cuestión de visibilidad y códigos ocultos, trabajo robotizado y algoritmos, un sistema operativo y un lenguaje que lo controla. Las máquinas y los algoritmos realizarán pronto más tareas que los humanos, una vez enterrada la era industrial necesitamos una nueva división global del trabajo. El estudio de Andújar hace años que inició este proceso de digitalización a través del que todo tipo de asistentes digitales (impresoras 3D etc) trabajan en los aspectos más formales de la obra. Aquí el artista se apropia de una famosa línea de una carta que Karl Marx envió en 1866 a François Lafargue, y repetida en Capital: “Labor in white skin cannot emancipate itself where the black skin is branded.” (1); el slogan que apareció anónimamente durante una protesta de la Art Workers’ Coalition: “Art Workers Won’t Kiss Ass”; o la difundida demanda: “I am an Artist This does not mean, I will work for free, I have bills like you. Thank-you for understanding”.  Las piezas se acompañan por los códigos fuente impresos sobre papel que permiten al robot pintar sobre el lienzo.