Andere Arbeit? El Anatsuis Communal Works

The Ghanaian artist El Anatsui, who works mainly in Nigeria, has become famous for his stunning works made of thousands of bottle caps and bottle labels. My contribution examines the processes and organisation of the extensive manual labour required to transform the metal parts from industrial production, which are usually considered waste. While in Anatsui’s workshop "communal labour" is honoured and remunerated under the patriarchal protection of the artist as a specific resource of African communities, its attraction for Post-Fordist capital interests is to be questioned. Keywords Abfall, communal labour, El Anatsui, Handarbeit, Kolonialismus, Künstlerwerkstatt, Postfordismus