Brendan Fernandes, installation view of Clean Labor, 2017, a commissioned project by More Art. Courtesy of More Art.
Created by artist Brendan Fernandes, Clean Labor was a contemporary dance performance that made visible what is too often overlooked—the work of hospitality workers and cleaning professionals whose contributions ensure that our homes, offices, schools, hotels, and public spaces are safe, clean, and livable.
Fernandes collaborated with six dancers and members of the housekeeping staff at the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to design an original, contemporary dance inspired by the movements and routines involved in their work. The resulting performance explores the similarities between the graceful and methodical movements of maintenance and those of dance, establishing a dialogue between the two, physically demanding professions and making us all more aware of how our bodies shape and are shaped by the work we do.
Throughout the performances, the movement artists engaged with and activated the spaces of numerous hotel rooms and shared spaces at the Wythe Hotel by reproducing the gestures of maintenance within the lexicon of contemporary dance. In the hotel itself, cleaning went on as usual both with cleaner and her/his dancer shadow. While the piece was rehearsed and scored, the live performance relied on improvised movements inspired by the spatial elements of each site’s floor plan composed of numerous and interlocking quarters.
Artist: Brendan Fernandes
March 5, 2017, The Wythe Hotel, Brooklyn NY
Contemporary dance performance
Learn more at More Art
Brendan Fernandes, installation view of Clean Labor, 2017, a commissioned project by More Art. Courtesy of More Art.
Brendan Fernandes, installation view of Clean Labor, 2017, a commissioned project by More Art. Courtesy of More Art.
Brendan Fernandes, installation view of Clean Labor, 2017, a commissioned project by More Art. Courtesy of More Art.