Chris Barr

Bio

Chris Barr is an artist and designer concerned with contemporary labor patterns, communication and workspace dynamics. His work spans various media including networked performance, installation and video and has been exhibited internationally and nationally, notably at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, The Lab in San Francisco, and Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (Spain). Chris currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Design at West Virginia University.

Abstract

Caught You Looking: A Report from the Bureau of Workplace Interruptions

Recent shifts in labor constructs, to what is currently being termed immaterial labor or Post-Fordism, parallel the rise of artistic practices that have as their basis collaboration and participation. This presentation will look at artworks by the presenter and others that engage the digital workplace. Specifically, pieces such as the “Bureau of Workplace Interruptions” aim to intervene in the communication flow of a normal workday in order to free bandwidth for more intimate communication. This discussion will revolve around tactics created to slow workplace production with communication technologies and invisible theatre.