The problem
In today’s society, we are constantly striving to fulfil a certain ideal. It is considered desirable to work a lot and complete many tasks. If you work hard, you will be rewarded – at least that is the common perception in our minds. We accept the reality of constant pressure and overwork as normality, although we are actually only subjecting ourselves to an idea of normality created by society. For almost 43% of all Austrians, constant stress is on the agenda. As a result, 37% of them see a risk of suffering from burnout themselves. Although this problem is obvious, it is largely ignored due to a lack of support, education and normalisation in our society. Driven by social expectations and the ever-evolving world of work that leaves no time for breaks.

The idea
Prio aims to highlight the negative effects of everyday stress. The project questions reality, highlights false ideals and encourages us to consciously set priorities. Is it all worth it to you? Was it worth it? We encourage people to consciously shape their lives by rethinking priorities and focussing on the essentials. In doing so, we place ourselves at the centre of the neoliberal construct that is offered to us as a form of society.

To this end, we ask viewers to take part in a joint project, a data experiment, which is presented in the form of a website. You are asked to answer certain questions about how you spend your time in percentage terms. To do this, we took the life of an average Western European person and divided it into four areas: Work, social life, household duties and time for oneself. The result is an overall picture consisting of four blocks of different sizes, which visualises how people invest their time and which areas have to take a back seat due to other priorities. This is supported by a standardised advertising campaign and several small installations in public spaces.

The result
Through the data visualisation, viewers are confronted with the design of their lifetime. You can see how you spend your own life in the form of four blocks in relation to each other. This makes you realise how little time we actually have for ourselves – and creates a mental distress and the feeling of being controlled by others. Where is my life? The realisation and question that you ultimately come to terms with is: Who do I belong to?