In Praise of Laziness

2015, video, 56min.

A collaborative video work with Mounira Al Solh 

Video still – “In Praise of Laziness”, Rumiko Hagiwara and Mounira al Solh, 2015

“The title of our collaborative video work, ‘In Praise of Laziness’ is taken from Mladen Stilinovic’s statement about laziness. Our video work is the laziest outcome of our residency at Kunsthuis SYB in Friesland, where we spent six weeks there.”
Rumiko & Mounira

“Laziness is the absence of movement and thought, dumb time – total amnesia. It is also indifference, staring at nothing, non-activity, impotence. It is sheer stupidity, a time of pain, futile concentration… Those virtues of laziness are important factors in art.”
Mladen Stilinovic

An artist should allow herself/himself periods of non-making in order to stay sane. However in late capitalist societies, this is a luxury because labor is highly valued, while idleness is mostly looked down on. In order to be lazy, one must fight internalized social judgments. In fact, the laziness is the refusal attitude in search of a space of the exception within a dominant system. Ultimately, to achieve laziness demands hard work. If laziness is not only non-work, but also indeed, a different kind of work, then what is its function and what economy is it part of? How can we redefine it to counter judgmental conceptions of laziness?

With – In order of appearance:
Sjoerd Kloosterhuis, Camilo Oliveira, Zakia el Abodi, Lucille Dijkstra, Maureen Ho, Jetty Kootstra, Oblomov, Jack Zuidema, Jelle Terluin, Flávia Evangelista, Janwillem Schrofer, Dina Danish, Arnisa Zeqo, Mechteld van der loo, Igor Sevcuk, Rosa Van Goudoever and Jasmina el Tofeli.

Thanks to:
Mirene Arsanios, Mathilda and Guido van Beekhuizen, Pranav Behari, Jeannoux van Deijck, Marianne Flotron, Ben Geraerts, Roheet Goel, Joke van Goudoever, Aram Jang, Sasa Karalic, Wjm Kok, Maritt Kuipers, Marianna Liosi, Annelie Musters, Martine Neddam, Alice Nikitinova, Stephanie Noach, Herman Pitz, Bik van der Pol, Dyveke Rood, Angela Serino, Durk Schroor, Roy Taylor, Rein Jelle Terpstra, Vincent Van Velsen.

Supported by:
Mondriaan Fonds, Kunsthuis SYB and Goleb