“Hard Graft Highlights the Political Dimensions of Health”
## The Intersection of Work, Health, and Rights: A Look at Hard Graft at the Wellcome Collection
In contemporary society, the dialogue around work, health, and rights has evolved from a peripheral conversation to a central issue of concern, as growing awareness of social injustice and the uneven effects of capitalism come to the fore. The new exhibition, titled **”Hard Graft: Work, Health and Rights,”** at the Wellcome Collection in London delves deep into these ongoing concerns by exploring the lives, labor, and health conditions of workers subjected to some of the harshest, often invisible, environments across history and geography.
### “Hard Graft”: What It Means and What It Involves
In the UK, “hard graft” traditionally refers to hard, back-breaking labor, both physical and mental, that people undergo to sustain themselves and their families. The exhibition borrows this phrase to investigate the relationship between labor, social stratification, and health, highlighting how these factors collide to create systems of exploitation and suffering.
The curatorial mission of *”Hard Graft”* is to lay bare a global examination of the toxic environments in which many individuals toil—those that disproportionately affect already marginalized communities. As viewers navigate the exhibition, they are not merely passive consumers of art but invited to engage intellectually and emotionally with the magnitude of these societal issues.
### A Chronicle of Suffering and Survival
Walking through the exhibition offers a profound sense of discomfort—one that is both physical and emotional. The seating may provide ephemeral comfort during the viewing experience, but the artworks on display create lasting impact by showcasing the brutal effects of exploitation.
For instance, *Forensic Architecture*’s 2021 film **”If toxic air is a monument to slavery, how do we take it down?”** documents the devastating effects chemical plants have on local Black communities in Louisiana. The subtle juxtaposition of modern industry with historic plantation land creates a haunting atmosphere; these industries serve as contemporary monuments that continue to perpetuate inequality and suffering, legacies deeply rooted in colonialism and slavery.
One of the exhibition’s more poignant stops examines the United States prison-industrial complex through the lens of labor exploitation. In *Sheila Pinkel’s* 1998–2024 photo series **”Site / Unseen: The Prison-Industrial Complex,”** the artist documents how prisoners engage in forced labor, crafting furniture sold to government institutions. Pinkel’s stark images unveil both the invisibility and physicality of labor performed behind bars, linking prison work to broader systemic injustices.
### Global Connections to “Modern Slavery”
Beyond the United States, the exhibition offers sharp insights into global forms of exploitation still active today. For example, **”Our Journey” (2019)** focuses on domestic workers in the UK, who often endure extreme mistreatment and abuse leading to what human rights organizations aptly call “modern slavery.” Shot in an intimate manner, the film lets twelve domestic workers share their harrowing experiences, offering a rare glimpse into the deeply exploitative structures that govern their daily lives.
The research was conducted collaboratively between workers, scholars, and filmmakers, ensuring that the victims of these injustices are not just silent subjects but active participants in the storytelling process. This direct engagement provides an emotional conduit for audiences, demanding empathy for these individuals’ experiences.
### Art in Activism: A Radical Approach
At first glance, the somber tone and raw realism of these pieces may appear purely tragic, but the pandemic lens of exploitation and violence also gives rise to powerful acts of resistance. **Lindsey Mendick**’s installation **”Money Makes the World Go Round” (2024)** illustrates the radical potential of art in imagining freedom and justice. This grandiose installation includes an assemblage of ceramic works, some of which invoke the iconography of historic church occupations by sex workers dating back to 1975 and later in 1982.
Within the symbolic framework of a constructed “church,” a nonbinary protagonist shares their story of coming to London and entering sex work. The space, filled with piggy banks and other small art pieces, challenges the commodification of bodies through labor as well as the stigma surrounding sex work. The narrative within this space transforms a profession often associated with marginalization into a testament to resilience and defiance.
### Envisioning Health Beyond the Clinical
While political and social injustice dominate, the broader theme of health is never far away in the exhibition. The **Wellcome Collection**, well-known for its focus on medical science, uses *Hard Graft* to spotlight how poor health conditions are often an outcome of exploitative labor practices.
What curator **Cindy Cissokho** masterfully achieves is the recognition that health is not just an individual concern but a systemic one—tied directly to the inequities that force some populations into harmful working environments.
Through artworks such as **Lubaina Himid’s** *”Metal Handkerchief”* (2019