“A woman-machine whose movements are driven by a treadmill, the Lithuanian artist transcends her alienating experience in the kitchens of McDonald’s with this hard-hitting performance on the relationship between the body and work.”

Based on Anna-Marija Adomaityte’s work experience and the testimonies of other McDonald’s employees, “workpiece” questions physical and social conditions of productivity and their effects on the body.

“I like my light green uniform, its collar and buttons up to my throat. When I wear it, I don’t feel my body ageing. Come as you are – this space is timeless and disease-free. Tender meat and pastel frozen products. Yellowish dots of sesame seeds. McDonald’s arches on my ass. The ice cream holder looks like metal labia. My left hand is slightly shorter than the right one. I recognise rainbow patterns in all cleaning sponges: differently coloured sponge for each WC. The time has drowned in greasy bowls. Service light twinkles at 4 AM. Looks like it is pouring cosmic energy. She goes to work slowly. They cry and masturbate in the toilets. “Do you believe in magic?” It smells of Alpine herbs. “The closest thing to home”. They secretly make photos of my colleague.   “Lovin’ Beats Hatin’”, plush toys for the ones who donate, accumulated well-being, burns on wrists and fingers, filet-o-fish, filet-o-flesh, Voluntary Servitude, McRefugee, “Mūsų dienos kaip šventė, kaip žydėjimas vyšnios; Join in and follow Black & Positively Golden. Back pain is my dino, so archaic I forget to feed him. Best employee of the month smiles from the picture on the wall, between me and her there is a cloud of cheap perfume. Work consumes my body; love is stronger than hatred. Futures drive-thru I remember.”

Credits

Concept, choreography and dance: Anna-Marija Adomaityte

Sound and light design, technical direction: Gautier Teuscher

Diffusion advice: Olivier Stora

Production: Cie A M A (CH)

Co-production: L’Abri – Genève, Emergentia – a platform for emerging choreographers in partnership with L’Abri, the TU and the Pavillon ADC

Artist / Company biography

Born in Lithuania, Anna-Marija Adomaityte studied contemporary dance at La Manufacture. Based in Geneva, she founded contemporary dance company A M A.  Pas de deux, her latest creation, premiered at La Bâtie – Festival de Genève and has been selected to be part of the European dance network AEROWAVES in 2022. She is currently working on her third creation, TikTok-Ready Choreographies (co-production Pavillon ADC, Geneva).

Gautier Teuscher is a musician and technical stage designer. He has been working in the field of sound, lighting and stage design for performance shows. From 2018, he is an artist in residence at L’Abri in Geneva, where he continues to develop his musical practice through different projects.”

Funded and supported by Ville de Genève, Loterie Romande, Fondation Fluxum, Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.