The relationship of art to work and the conditions of artistic production has long engaged many in the field of visual art. Work is a broad concept, the meaning of which has changed radically as a result of the social and technological transformations that have taken place over the past century. What, then, is “work” today and what is its relation to art? What is the position of the artist if “creativity” has become a commodity? How can the artist’s conditions of production be described, and what role can art and architecture play in societal change?

The texts in this reader provide perspectives on some of these questions emerging from the series of seminars conducted during the late autumn of 2010 at Iaspis in Stockholm, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee’s international program for visual art, architecture, crafts, and design. The seminars brought together visual artists, architects, theoreticians, curators, and writers with diverse backgrounds and experience. They were arranged into three themes: the relationship between art and work, the current conditions of production and the organization of work within the field of visual art, and the role of art and architecture in politics and society.