Ottonie von Roeder

Prizes: Gijs Bakker Award Nominee

Department: Social Design
Website: www.ottonieroeder.de

Post-Labouratory

What if we no longer had to work for a living? If robots did our jobs instead? ‘Post-Labouratory’ by Ottonie von Roeder explores this speculative future scenario and the impact this could have on our lives.
The project is an answer to the rapid automation of the workplace and the resulting cultural crisis. It liberates us from labour as a financial need and supports us in finding work that can fulfil our true desires. With robots on the job, for the first time, people are free to explore a post-labour future. Helping them are assistants at the lab. People can reconsider their options and develop the required robots with the help of designers and engineers. To ensure that the robots are viable replacements, they start off by working alongside their human counterparts as apprentices. Engaging people in the process, through discussions about work, leisure and life, facilitates the transition to a post-labour life.