Sophiensæle Forever #2 – Never Work

As part of the International Performance Festival Never Work, they invite you to the launch of the second issue of their anniversary publication Sophiensæle Forever – Never Work.

The publication brings together voices that examine the relationship between art, work, and exhaustion from various angles: Simone Dede Ayivi asks who is actually allowed to just hang out. Emma Holten shows why a system based on market prices fundamentally misses the mark when it comes to the value of art and care—and advocates for new alliances between artists, caregivers, and activists. Anka Herbut and Kasia Wolińska pose the most radical question: What if people didn’t reform the system, but instead refused to participate in it?

For the launch, Simone Dede Ayivi will read from her text *Hanging Out* and then speak with us about work, exhaustion, and the political dimension of leisure. They will discuss how one’s own stress levels distort one’s view of others—and how the ability to grant others a break diminishes the more one toils.

Simone Dede Ayivi’s conclusion is provocative and precise: Those who cut funding for the arts simultaneously cut back on the very conditions that enable people to experience art in the first place. Because art needs more than just a gap in the calendar—it needs mental downtime.

IN GERMAN