Covid-19, precarious labour and uncertainty: visual and performance artists experience in Mexico City.

visual and performance artists experience in Mexico City.

Abstract

This article examines the consequences of Covid-19 crisis on visual and performance artists labour experiences in Mexico City (CDMX). It explores in particular the reduction of their incomes, labour conditions and meanings attributed to their artistic work. 43 qualitative remote interviews with visual and performance artists were conducted from 24 to 41 years old, from which 22 were actors and actresses and 21 visual artists living in Mexico City at the time of the interview. The results show an important fall of their incomes during the pandemic, with implications for their decisions and practices, such as the opportunity to live with independence and autonomy from their parents. This is specially for artists from 24 to 36 years old. Likewise, visual and performance artists labour conditions -before and during the pandemic- are still associated with flexible labour and the combination of various employments. Following this, the pandemic has exposed the precarity and inequality in the arts labour market in Mexico City and it is fundamental the recognition of the State to labour rights of artists.