9-5, video Installation, 8 hours, 3 channels, 2020
This is a three-channel video screening installation. The three participants in this video installation were paid $15 per hour to complete a 9-5 work day in which they were required to engage in no activity at all. The participants were discouraged from using their phones, pursuing distractions, or sleeping while at work. Each participant was found through a craigslist posting asking for volunteers.
The worker for the first day is a Grubhub delivery biker. He claimed that the ability to do nothing was “the best job one could ask for”. After the day, he said that he spent time thinking about his long-term life goals, and had a better understanding of himself. He describes the experience as a spiritual journey but also reminiscent of solitary confinement.
The worker for the second day is a construction worker who had previously been a prison guard for ten years. He was confident about his ability to engage in the task and shared his extensive work experience before he enter the setting. However, when he walked into the gallery, he immediately turned and left. So only an empty chair remained in the second frame throughout the day.
The worker for the third day is a freelance photographer. He was excited about the day and thought that the day would be an effective way to rest. He left the day saying that it was a very different experience and he went to sleep right after he got home.