Toil and Moil is a solo exhibition by artist Emma Swan, alongside a showcase of the Celebrate People’s History poster series, a project initiated by Josh MacPhee.

Toil and Moil is an exhibition featuring painting, sculpture and sound, exploring the significance of time and labour in the work environment. Swan investigates how the introduction of the Henry Ford assembly line revolutionised manufacturing, industry, and society by accelerating productivity. By looking at the repetitive and monotonous nature of industrialised labour, Swan references these practices to protest against the regimented structure of the working day, highlighting the limitations imposed and its prevailing influence.

This exhibition prompts a conversation about labour and workers’ conditions, while facilitating an opportunity to platform strike action and global protest. The Celebrate People’s History poster series demonstrates a DIY tradition that centralises principles of democracy, inclusion and collective action. The project has been organised and curated by Josh MacPhee since 1998, he is a founding member of the Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative and Interference Archive, a public collection of cultural materials produced by social movements based in Brooklyn, NY. Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative is a decentralised network of 41 artists from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, committed to social, environmental and political engagement. The collection is kindly borrowed from artist and organiser Kate O’Shea. This exhibition is curated by Rachel Botha. Design by Emmet Brown.

Online Talk with Josh MacPhee, curator of the Celebrate People’s History project
Thursday October 17th, 7.00pm (GMT)
Book via Eventbrite