This issue of Open focusses on the notion of precarity, which refers to the relationship between temporary labour contracts and a life without predictability and security. It occurs in many places in society as a result of the neo-liberal and post-Fordist economy, where the emphasis lies on the immaterial production of information and services and continuous flexibility. Among the topics dealt with are the functioning of the art scene and the conditions of the precarious city and its public domain.
With contributions by Nicolas Bourriaud, Pascal Gielen, Brian Holmes, Brett Neilson and Ned Rossiter, Merijn Oudenampsen, Matteo Pasquinelli, Recetas Urbanas, Gerald Raunig and Jan Verwoert, as well as an extensive interview with the Italian philosopher Paolo Vimo by Pascal Gielen and Sonja Lavaert.
Under the title Entre Sueños, the Spanish artist Marcelo Expósito produced a series of videos during the last few years, in which he gives evidence of a new social struggle. In Open 17 Brian Holmes analyses these videos, showing that, besides an activist message, they also depict its artistic expression.