EN. Without Milk, 2022 (coffee grounds), London

Working as a barista in London since the last few months, I chose to transmute those hours of labor into an artwork. I wanted to sublime, as the chemical process of transformation from one matter to another is called 'sublimation', an experience of hardship into a recreative statement.

‘Without milk’ is made of hundreds of kilos of coffee grounds collected from different coffee shops in London. I have composed this installation by filling a room with the leftovers, reflecting the often unrecognised effort of workers in the service sector. I want to invite the public to remove their shoes, touch the ground with their feet and smell the scent of coffee. By corporeally connecting with our experience, I want us to acknowledge the efforts of workers in the service sector. s‘Without Milk’ is rooted in my personal circumstance, but also seeks to raise broader questions on work, precarity and social recognition.
Deep thanks to Mariam and to the baristas of London who shared to me their coffee of sweat.