Contagious Unemployment By Josh Kline

contagious unemployment by josh kline photo by gail worley
All Photos By Gail

Unemployment (2016), another chapter of Josh Klein’s ongoing cycle, is a stark series of installations set in the 2030s or 2040s – a vision of a near-future in which automation has replaced the majority of administrative office jobs.

virus orb with shoes photo by gail worley

virus orb with shoes closer look photo by gail worley

The first installation, Contagious Unemployment (2016), comprises, six transparent sculptures in the shape of common viruses: each contains a cardboard box, filled with the kind of personal items that white-collar workers keep at their desks and take with them when they are laid off.

contagious unemployment by josh kline photo by gail worley

Together, the family photos, mugs, shoes, and other objects within each sculpture serve as a fictional portrait of a middle class professional who has recently lost their job.

virus orb with sneakers photo by gail wotley

Photographed in The Whitney Museum as Part of the Exhibit Josh Klein: Project for a New American Century, on View Through August 13th, 2023.

virus orb installation view photo by gail worley
virus orb with i heart ny mug photo by gail worley
contagious unemployment by josh kline installation view photo by gail worley
virus orb with belongings photo by gail worey
contagious unemployment by josh kline installation view photo by gail worley

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