ERGONOMICS

TOWARDS AN ARCHITECTURE OF WELLNESS
SOLO EXHIBITION
BLOCK 32, STOCKHOLM, 2023

The solo exhibition “Ergonomics” (April 28-May 22, 2023) by Secretary explored the drawing body, its stress, and the wellness industry’s solutions to semiocapitalism’s workplace injuries.

In the small, 16-square-meter shopfront on Hornsgatan 32 in Stockholm, “Ergonomics” builds up a space for both rest and training, hope and critique, through an exploration of the neoliberal workplace. Taking its starting point in the “record year” of 2017’s building boom in Stockholm and the workplace injuries it resulted in amongst architects, the exhibition brings together a series of works that build on the bizarre remedies offered as stress treatments. From a blue putty that is squeezed in accordance with its instruction manual (video work Mouse Arm/Musarm, 2023) to the hanging meditation pod (Puppan/Cocoon 2023) where one can calmly listen to construction statistics, “Ergonomics” transforms wellness industry tech into underperforming and ambuguous objects. While the slack physiotherapy bands that make up The Reformer/Reformern (2023) create a decorative drapery, the functions of a sick bay meet the aesthetics of the gym in Båren/The Gurney (2023). The result is a litter that can be used to carry the dead-tired body to its final resting place.

The exhibition was accompanied by a two-part public program. “Fitness” was a panel discussion with Leonard Ma (Public Office, Helsinki), Maroš Krivý (EKA, Tallinn), and Veronica Hejdelind (Hallemar Hejdelind , Stockholm); “Dance-o-nomics” was a public dance class run by fitness instructor and architectural anthropolist Jennifer Mack.