Need for space. How artists rely on space to face precarious work conditions

Abstract

Artistic labour markets present some features that can be considered paradigmatic of work in the contemporary gig economy. Extant literature identified these features by focusing on how artists can be deemed exemplars of new and more flexible ways of organising a workforce. While studies examined workers' conditions in contemporary economy, the literature on artistic work has not delved into the role of space in artist's work experience. Thus, this study aims to look at how space can be harnessed by artistic workers to respond to the most pressing needs they express. To this end, the paper presents the results of a qualitative study conducted on young artistic workers in the city of Reggio Emilia. The authors propose three mechanisms (anchoring, framing, belonging) through which space can serve as a personal compass that helps mitigate the effects of the precariousness of work.