Invisible work - PhMuseum

Unseen Labor, Seen: Exploring hidden work (domestic, caregiving) through movement data captured via motion capture technology. From cooking, playing music, to caring for children, everyday actions transformed into digital sculptures, prints, glasses.

Media: Glass, wood, steel, 3D print, UV print, video (variable size)

Concept: This project explores the unseen labor that sustains our daily lives by capturing and transforming the movements of "invisible work" into physical and digital artworks.

Invisible Work: I focus on tasks often overlooked or undervalued, such as domestic work, childcare, and caregiving. These activities, essential to our well-being but rarely labeled as "work," are often performed by women and diverse family structures.

Process: Collaborating with the BME-MOGI department, I used motion capture technology to record individuals performing everyday actions: cooking, playing music, caring for children, cleaning, and even "curating" (walking while on a phone call). These movements were translated into digital data, displayed in various ways:

Projections: Movement data visualized as light and shadow.
Printed images: Data rendered on steel plates and glass objects.
Sculptures: 3D-printed forms based on movement data.

Intention: My aim is not to depict specific tasks, but to evoke the essence of invisible work – the physical effort, emotional labor, and constant flow of activity that keep our lives running smoothly. By making these invisible actions visible, I hope to prompt reflection on their value and encourage a more equitable distribution of labor.

Collaborators: Anna Gács (Curator, BME art residency), Dávid Mórász (programming), Kálmán Tarr (3D printing), Dr. Norbert Kovács (3D printing), Dorottya Ágoston (PhD student), and Dr. Rita Kiss Mária (BME-MOGI)

Participant List:

János BALI: composer, conductor, recorder and flute player: flute playing

Ádám CZIRÁK: theatre critic, masseur: back massage

Hanna CSABY-CSÉPKE és Mór : family interaction – breastfeeding

Tamás DON: curator, curating

Anikó ILLÉS: research psychologist: cooking tuna pasta

Csaba HRUSKA: programmer: programming

Ágnes JAKAB: tattooist: making a hand-poked tattoo

Bence MEZEI: actor, dancer: mopping

Sándor CSABY és Mór:family interaction – swinging

Bence MEZEI: actor, dancer: hanging laundry

Emese MUCSI : curator: combing her hair

Panni NÉDER: theatre director: solo performance

Ágnes JAKAB: tattooist: making a hand-poked tattoo

Eszter Ágnes SZABÓ artist: embroidery a hand washed plate photo series contour

Viktor SZERI: dancer, media designer: airbnb shower cabin cleaning

Péter István VARGA: architect and his dog: animal-human interaction

Conclusion: This project is an ongoing exploration, inviting viewers to consider the often-invisible work that underpins our lives. By recognizing and valuing this labor, we can move towards a more just and sustainable society.