Past Residents Airi Triisberg
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For freelance art workers, chasing minimum wage is a sports that demands athletic performance. Illustration by Laura Vilbiks
Airi Triisberg is independent curator, writer and educator based in Tallinn. They often work at the intersection of cultural practice, knowledge production and self-organisation. Currently, their primary focus is on advocacy work against precarious labour conditions in the cultural sector. In 2022 they published A Proposal for Fair Pay together with Maarin Ektermann, and in 2015 Art Workers – Material Conditions and Labour Struggles in Contemporary Art Practice with Minna Henriksson and Erik Krikortz. Another strand in their practice currently engages with the overlaps of social movement politics and contemporary art.
I will use the residency period for writing and networking. I am currently writing a practical handbook for art workers, advising how to navigate temporary work relations. The handbook explains the nuances of temporary and precarious work relations in the Estonian legal system, including contracts, labour regulations, fair pay and social security models. The book is primarily written for freelance cultural workers, and also for cultural institutions that act as employers. The examples in the handbook originate mainly from the context of art sector, however, this material will also be relevant for a broader audience of precarious workers.