by B. Rübner-Hansen, J. Wieger and M. Zechner, questions by
E. Krasny[1]
Beginnings /// Upon meeting in
Vienna in 2012, at a workshop Manuela ran at VBKÖ (a historical association of
women artists that aims to foster contemporary feminist artistic agendas, in
Vienna), we found that we shared an interest in questions of care, social
reproduction/reproductive labor and collective forms of organizing, food
production and housing. We come from different fields and directions: Julia is
interested in feminist approaches to architecture and was then starting
research on the spatial relations of reproductive labor; Manuela had done
extensive militant research on care networks via workshops and her PhD, in
Spain and the UK notably; and Bue was working theoretically on the question of
social reproduction under capitalism, keeping an eye on the emergent forms of
self-organisation during the crisis in Europe. We decided to start a collective
research process and a corresponding online platform structured around case
studies.
Social and economic crisis /// The
idea to start the project came up against the background of a social crisis
convulsing Europe – at a time when the impact of the 2008 financial crisis
could be felt ever more strongly in the so-called PIIGS countries and when
austerity politics started to take effect, further dismantling the social
institutions once provided by the (welfare)states throughout Europe. This
situation was new in Europe, both in the experiences and dilemmas it posed and
the collective and organisational responses it triggered. Autonomous
self-reproduction has become a matter of necessity and survival for many people
(as opposed to being a life-style choice).
