“250°C” is a personal reflection on labor, migration, and the value society assigns to different types of work. This body of work, created from the baking pans used by my father in his profession as a baker, preserves the traces of grease and pastry left behind from years of use. These marks serve as a testament to the physical and emotional toll of manual labor, a contribution that often goes unrecognized despite its essential role in sustaining society. The title, “250°C,” refers to the baking temperature for bread, symbolizing the daily grind of my father’s work. This piece also explores the stereotype of Kosovo men working in the bakery industry across Europe, a narrative that shaped much of my upbringing. Through this work, I engage with the broader issue of economic migration, examining how labor becomes intertwined with identity, particularly for migrant workers who are often reduced to simplistic stereotypes. The use of gold leaf to cover the traces of labor is central to the artwork’s concept. Traditionally associated with wealth and status, gold transforms the ordinary into the valuable, prompting questions about what society deems worthy of recognition. This elevation of my father’s labor through the use of gold highlights the disparity between the value of essential work and how it is often overlooked or under- valued. “250°C” challenges viewers to reconsider their perceptions of labor and the workers who perform it. The contrast between the utilitarian baking pans and the luxurious gold leaf underscores the contradictions in how different types of work are perceived and valued within cap- italist systems. While physically demanding, low-paid jobs like my father’s rarely receive acknowledgment, they form the foundation of everyday life. This work is both a tribute to my father’s perseverance and a com- mentary on societal hierarchies. It invites viewers to reflect on whose contributions are celebrated and whose are ignored, and to question the standards by which we define value and success.
Baking pan / gold leaf
Photo-documentation: Bojan Stojčić
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2023.