The houseWORK project is an artist-initiated community project to encourage reflection on the function and impact of housework on the fabric of individual and family life. By drawing attention to the nature and types of housework, who does it and why, and what difference it makes, it hopes to raise the level of appreciation and respect for housework and the people – mothers, wives, husbands, sisters, foreign domestic workers - who perform this work daily either as part of family duty or for economic returns. The focus of the houseWORK project is the perception and nature of housework, its role in and relationship to our lives.
The houseWORK project is the effort of several artists, some members of The Working Committee 2, the civil society initiative to improve the welfare of the foreign domestic worker, to create a mutually supportive environment for the foreign domestic workers and her Singapore employer. Information about TWC2 is available online (http://www.twc2.org.sg).
Participating artists include Margaret Tan, Shirley Soh, Natacha Blondeau, Cassandra Schultz, Amanda Heng, Vincent Twardzik Ching, Twardzik Ching Chor Leng, Karee Dahl, Juliana Yasin, Gilles Massot, Kelly Reedy, Agnes Yit, Jason Wee, Chia Chuyia, Dana Lam and Bella Tumicua.
the houseWORK project
A collaborative installation and performance exhibition with audience participation
2003
the houseWORK project invitation card
Survey of 150 households’ perceptions of housework represented as a wall text installation
Opening night with Braema Mathi, President of TWC2, as Guest-of-Honour
Houseproud - an installation with household objects and digital photographic images by Cassandra Schultz
PATH-way ‘foreign’ - ‘home’ in a forth-bidden city by Agnes Yit
Ironing Day - ironing services by Natacha Blondeau, Cassandra Schultz, Shirley Soh and Margaret Tan
Audience interacting with the installation to earn tokens for ironing services
Absence and Presence at Home by Chia Chuyia (Left) and Wash n Ware by Karee Dahl & Juliana Yasin (Right)
