<synthesis> SILENT WORKS · art collective Peng! under investigation for economic espionage

[Krystian Woznicki]

Hi INC-folks,

an important contribution to SILENT WORKS by the art-activism collective
Peng! is under attack by German authorities. Challenging a corporate
monopolist's food delivery empire and its underlying abuse of labor
rights, Peng!'s work is now under investigation for economic espionage.
Before looking at the video of their action and a related video
statement by Peng! we just recorded (the links are at the bottom),
please read the press release first.

*The Federal Criminal Police Office investigates the Peng! art collective*

Berlin, November 16, 2020

The Federal Criminal Police Office (LKA) is investigating the Peng!
collective because of their August 2020 “phone pranks on capitalism”
campaign. The collective pretended to be a fictitious federal office in
order to gain access and speak to company bosses; thereupon, the Federal
Ministry of Economics filed charges. Peng! is now responding with
another action: in a previously unpublished telephone conversation, the
managing director of Lieferando explains which labor rights still need
to be abolished to make his company more competitive.

In the summer, employees of the “Federal Office for Crisis Protection
and Economic Assistance,” an authority invented by Peng!, telephoned the
heads of large German corporations to ask them questions about
sustainability, climate protection and labor rights. The companies
included Vonovia, Helios, and RWE. Suspecting economic espionage or
fraud, the Federal Ministry of Economics filed charges. “Our phone
pranks have shown that the German economy has no serious strategies for
dealing with the coming social and ecological crises,” Anja de Vries of
the Peng! collective says. Even after it became clear that the campaign
was an artistic intervention, the public prosecutor insisted on
continuing the investigation. “After all, the aim of the action was for
the federal government to take action. We are pleased that they want to
remain in dialogue with us,” de Vries continues, “but perhaps we can
discuss the transformation of the economy without the Federal Police.”

Peng! remains resolute and has responded with another action. A
previously unpublished video shows that the boss of Lieferando also fell
for the phone prank. As Germany’s single biggest food delivery service,
Lieferando has a monopoly position that it exerts to pressure employees.
Because the managing director, Jörg Gerbig, thought he was talking to
the German government, Peng! was able to chat for a full 43 minutes with
him about the working conditions in his delivery empire. “The former
investment banker bluntly admitted that his company’s financial profits
are only possible by keeping works councils out,” says Anja de Vries.
“He was also kind enough to provide instructions on how workers’
councils can build up the most pressure on delivery companies.”

A video of the action, the complete memory logs of the phone call with
Gerbig, and a video statement by Peng! about the action, are part of
SILENT WORKS – the Berliner Gazette Winter School 2020. For access to
SILENT WORKS please visit https://silentworks.info

*Watch Peng!’s video of the action here*
https://vimeo.com/478833658

*Watch Peng!’s statement about the action here*
https://vimeo.com/477782023

*More info about Peng!’s project*
https://liefer-undo.de

*Press inquiries*
Anja de Vries | presse at pen.gg | 0174 843 85 57

Stay tuned,

Krystian (for the BG team)

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BG – Berliner Gazette | since 1999 | https://berlinergazette.de

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SILENT WORKS – The Hidden Human Labor in AI-Driven Capitalism  
BG Project 2020: Exhibition, Conference + Text Series
https://silent-works.berlinergazette.de

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MORE WORLD – How Can We Cooperate Across Borders to Tackle Climate Change?
Results from BG’s 20th Anniversary Event: Videos, Audios, Projects + Texts 
https://more-world.berlinergazette.de 

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