Edward Salem // Work / Statement / CV / Contact
Don't Ever Work, 2010
In Paris, I transcribed Debord’s 1953 inscription “Ne Travaillez Jamais” in its original location on Rue de Seine, this time translating the phrase into Arabic. The audience for this work is limited to Arabic speakers living in Paris; thus, a phrase that originally called for a transformation of society through the individual rejection of the bridle of work and capitalist class divisions is mutated into an ironic gesture toward a largely unemployed populace. The Arab immigrant suburbs of Paris are sites of poverty where dreams of a better life are undermined by racism and economic limitations. Massive rioting broke out in 2005 as Arab youth were fed up with prevailing unemployment and the high cost of living.
In Paris, I transcribed Debord’s 1953 inscription “Ne Travaillez Jamais” in its original location on Rue de Seine, this time translating the phrase into Arabic. The audience for this work is limited to Arabic speakers living in Paris; thus, a phrase that originally called for a transformation of society through the individual rejection of the bridle of work and capitalist class divisions is mutated into an ironic gesture toward a largely unemployed populace. The Arab immigrant suburbs of Paris are sites of poverty where dreams of a better life are undermined by racism and economic limitations. Massive rioting broke out in 2005 as Arab youth were fed up with prevailing unemployment and the high cost of living.
