TYÖ 5.0 – LEIPÄ (WORK 5.0 – BREAD)

Team: Talvikki Eerola, Titta Halinen, Henrietta Ikonen, Annu Kemppainen, Annina Nevantaus, Janne Pellinen, Janne Saarakkala, Jonna Wikström

Work 5.0 – BREAD was a performance realized by baking rye bread. It was a bakery open in the HAM corner of the Helsinki Art Museum, Tennispalatsi, during the last quarter of the year. It served as a discussion space, workshop, and live installation, involving nearly 4,000 visitors as either spectators, discussants, or bakers. A total of 440 people baked their own bread.

In the fall of 2016, the team claimed in the Work 4.0 – Future of Work Launch Event that the spirit of the post-industrial era would strip work of all purposes except for earning a living; otherwise, work would increasingly become redundant. This was one of the topics discussed in the bakery.

Work 5.0 – BREAD stemmed from the contemporary knowledge worker’s need to create something tangible and establish a connection with past generations. Contrary to the efficiency demands of modern work life, the bakery became a place of contemplation in the last months of the year—much like workers of the past did after harvest—engaging in meaningful tasks. The performance involved creating disappearing physical work with the audience.

Work 5.0 – BREAD baked: We taught interested individuals the secrets of baking: preparing dough, proofing, and baking. Above all, we focused on sensing the mood of the sourdough each day to ensure the best possible final product – the bread. The finished loaves were either eaten or donated. Participants took home the bread they had baked.

Each loaf of bread is a manifesto for more meaningful work!