The Voyage was the thematic session organised by my research group, in collaboration with Tomi, the bike messenger. An object exchange took place between all minor participants. More information about the project can be read in the zine and film.

map

film

zine

On day one, I joined the adventure, biking together with Tomi, the Bike Messenger and Julia, who filmed everything. It was a very interesting and inspiring trip with various different interactions. Tomi shared stories about his previous bike messenger adventures, which sometimes got up to mad stages in which flat tires, weather storms or unexpected changes of plan did not hold them back. It could be seen as the same kind of hysteria that emerges within hustle culture and the entreprecariat. It is often a gig economy job with low salaries and high risks, but also becomes an identity and gives the feeling of being part of community in which even cycle messenger competitions are organised.

It was interesting to see (and experience a tiny bit) how hustle culture also takes place in a very literal and physical way.