Sarah Mosher & Hannah Genosko

What gives real value to anything in this world? The work we put into it.

Exploring a key concept in Marx’s labour theory of value, textile artists Sarah Mosher and Hannah Genosko draw from the trade unionist tradition of parading crafted banners through city streets.

‘The Only Wealth Is Labour’ by Sarah Mosher and Hannah Genosko is a patchwork quilt banner made out of their remaining uniforms from the ‘Portrait of the Artist as an Essential Worker’ quilts, which were shown during Mayworks 2024. ‘The Only Wealth Is Labour’ quotes a historic union banner created by George Tutill in 1926 for the UK National Winding and General Engineers Society. Mosher and Genosko were struck by this quote and appreciated the simplicity and directness of the statement. With this new banner they moved away from speaking about their specific experiences as essential workers during the pandemic and into a more general call for solidarity and justice with all working people against the forces of inflation, late capitalism and neoliberalism.

Mosher and Genosko’s banner will be carried alongside two of our Working Class Heritage Tours on May 3rd and 11th, and otherwise on display at The Bus Stop Theatre throughout the festival.

Artists

Sarah Mosher and Hannah Genosko are an artist duo collaborating in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. Hannah has a background in printmaking and bookmaking, Sarah has a background in textiles and community arts. Both are graduates of NSCAD University. Their common ground is exploring labour, anti-capitalism and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic through quilting. ‘Portrait of the Artist as an Essential Worker’ was their first project reflecting on their roles as essential workers at their jobs with Canada Post and NSLC respectively during the COVID-19 pandemic.