THE SECRET LIFE OF A CONTORTIONIST
In our west society dominated by the way of production of the postfordist capitalism, work has become a way of virtuous performance that has no longer the production of valuables as a result.
As the philosopher and semiologist Paolo Virno argues the characteristics of the virtuous performer - pianist, dancer, actor…- such as communication improvisation are nowadays in the foundations of the intellectual mass work.
A new kind of work that is structured in the same way as a public sphere, where all of us as workers we are continuously exposed to the presence and look of the Other.
I think that because of the demands of flexibility and constant training and because of the deep crisis the figure of the contortionist has become the paradigm -among all performers- of the new social ‘precariat’.
As contortionists we twist and turn following the working market requirements
As Siamese contortionists our intellectual work faces us to the look of the Other that is just another Self, twisting and mixing with us in our everyday's pirouette since we no longer know where the Self finishes and where the Other starts.
As fragmented contortionists we acquire new skills and we remove our useless organs…
Flexibility, constant training, precarious employment…fragmentation.
The look at the grotesque figures of ‘the secret life of a contortionist’ is just to look at ourselves.
