Eman Hussein

Undeclared Work is the third chapter of Eman Hussein’s series Labor Work – Between Work and Dance and focuses on the embodied experiences of migrant workers. The piece traces the physical and emotional realities of migrant construction workers—whose bodies shape our cities yet often remain unacknowledged. Drawing on the history of Italian seasonal workers in Switzerland and the Schwarzenbach Initiative, the work resonates with contemporary global conditions in which construction labour continues to be precarious, unprotected, and largely unseen.

During the residency at Tanzhaus Zürich, Eman will focus on how labour shapes the body over time: how the weight of work leaves traces on the spine, how a curve in the back becomes a lasting mark, and how the body retains the memory of labour. Exhaustion appears as something etched into the muscles, with each gesture bearing the imprint of a life spent building.