VISITORS OF AN EXHIBITION SPACE ARE SUGGESTED 

TO 'DO NOTHING'

Testimonial by Patricia Couvet / conversation with Katya Ev

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“I came on a Sunday, which is supposed to be a free

day, so the balance was regained by ‘working’ for a

double amount.”

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“It is deeply rooted in Christian culture that you always

have to do something—to earn money, achieve a certain

standing in society and pay your right to purgatory. By

reversing the logic of “I have to do something to get

paid,” this idea about the value of work shifts. You make

something valuable that is not considered as such: ‘doing

nothing,’ but also ‘giving time’.”

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“Anthropologists discuss the ‘gift economy’ in ancient

societies. When you give gift, there’s always a contra-gift.

With the contract, we give ‘doing nothing’ and ‘getting

paid’ comes in exchange. That is supposed to be in

balance […] the performance raises a lot of questions

about that.”