Rosa Aiello's 'Caryatid Encounters' video explores freelance anxiety through Berlin ad producer Helen

In her 47-minute video 'Caryatid Encounters' (2021), Rosa Aiello portrays Helen, a freelance advertising producer based in Berlin, who suffers from thumb injuries due to anxiety while managing client demands. Tasked with creating a promotional video for Sanssouci Palace, an 18th-century royal residence on the outskirts of Berlin, she faces constraints regarding budget and access. Helen rehearses pitches in her apartment, highlighting its vintage wallpaper and sunset vistas, all while grappling with significant debt. The story draws parallels between freelance work and Greek tragedy, depicting Helen as an archetypal freelancer who upholds professionalism amid instability. Gary Hall's 'The Uberification of the University' (2016) categorizes gig workers as 'freelance microenterprises' who maintain optimism despite financial struggles. Heather Berg's 'Porn Work: Sex, Labor, and Late Capitalism' (2021) examines authenticity in porn acting, mirroring Helen's complex situation. Surrounded by images of caryatids, ancient Greek female columns symbolizing structural support, Helen perceives them as cautionary symbols for societal stability. Last summer, the video installation at London's Arcadia Missa gallery featured the sculpture 'Welcome to her Counting House' (2021), which included unappealing cookies on tea towels. Aiello concludes without resolution, presenting a cycle of apartment showcases and professional subservience that challenges viewers to confront the issues.