“In a democratic society, a person’s job is a basic tool for civil and economic progress,” says Italian street artist Biancoshock. “What progress can there be if the world’s jobs do not produce emancipation, growth, and gratification?”
Heavy questions.
His repurposing of heavy blocks of concrete as delivery boxes here is called “Heavy Meal.” He says his point is to highlight the unrecognized burdens that delivery people of today are carrying thanks to sophisticated software. He describes situations of ever-higher pressure, lower wages, and an overall feeling of precariousness.
Increasingly across Europe and the developed world, he says, “food-delivery riders are dictated to by algorithms that extend the control and distribution functions – to become inaccessible, authoritarian and categorical.”
JUST NEET
Milan, 2022
“The algorithm imposes a path, rhythms, distances to be bridged (those between the rider and the consumer) and other unbridgeable ones (those between the rider and the management of the company that produces the algorithm and the goods to be delivered).”
These huge traffic blockers make idea canvasses for the installation artist, who adopts the logos of well-known European food-delivery brands and slightly alters them for artistic effect. To see the growing number of protests against these companies by employees, you see that more sophisticated technology is lowering the standard of living for many of us.
“The need to survive in this system transforms young people, students, and the unemployed into ‘new generation slaves,’” says the artist.
SLAVEROO
Milan, 2021
Old stone, new slavery.
Some delivery brands in the news:
Glovo riders go on strike as European gig workers rise up
Just Eat, Deliveroo and UberEats delivery drivers to walk out in Belfast
Deliveroo unveils plans to pull out of Spain in wake of ‘rider law’
Other Articles You May Like from BSA:
Writing large messages with sticky post notes is part of the visual lengua oficina* for many whose career ladder has been in corporate offices for years, decades. Stockholm based street artist Vl...
Antonio Segura Donat, aka Dulk is an illustrator and graphic designer from Valencia, Spain who is now also known in many cities for his painting in the street. Since copying images in encyclopedias as...
As we draw closer to the new year we’ve asked a very special guest every day to take a moment to reflect on 2017 and to tell us about one photograph that best captures the year for them. It’s ...
“The XXXL Panta Burger” You are what you eat. Mr Fijodor thinks we are eating cars, buildings, cities and a few other non-foods along with all the other stuff in this stack of hamburgers. Of course, h...
You got furious at us sometimes this year. Or rather, you were mad at artists whose work pissed you off. Thanks for the emails though bro. We still love you of course sister. Without a doubt t...