How May I Serve You?, 2019—2022 / In collaboration with call centre agents based in Islamabad, Pakistan, and outsourced by UK companies, Saadia Abbasi, Malik Ayaz, and Saira Danish.




























Specifications
Mixed media

Description"How May I Serve You" is a long-term project that aims to disrupt the corporate customer service system and shed light on the lived experiences of those hidden behind phone calls and online chat labour. These are key workers who sustain the current global neoliberal infrastructure, operating within a hierarchical system shaped by neocolonial legacies—where those providing the services are often from countries previously colonised by those receiving them.

The project unfolds through open online conversations between customer service agents based in Pakistan—outsourced by UK companies—and a live, online audience. Since its inception, three online performances have taken place.

The first performance occurred on 24 July during the Royal College of Art Degree Show, supported by the RCA as part of a scheme inviting guest lecturers in specialised fields. Oliva invited Malik and Saadia as guest speakers through this performance to discuss low-cost country sourcing and the representation of their identities within these online systems.

The second performance was held on 15 September 2021, funded and exhibited at The World Transformed festival. Following the participatory performance, a panel discussion took place with Dr. Ashok Kumar, Malik Ayaz, Saadia Abassi, and José García Oliva.

The third performance took place in November 2022, commissioned by Axisweb and funded by Arts Council England. This iteration included a parallel physical exhibition at SET Kensington, featuring a recreation of four cubicle desks and a series of works that materialised quotes from previous live-chat conversations. Across all three performances, a total of 346 people joined the chat and engaged in conversation. These exchanges, along with a reflective report, were compiled into the book “How May I Serve You”, which now stands as the legacy of the project.

Book How May I Serve You? Published by Sold Out Publishing (2023). 
Article Art Monthly. Artists’ Books José García Oliva: How May I Serve You? (2023) by Laura Bivolaru. Click to read the full article.

It’s Nice That. Levenson, J. (2023). Unpacking call centres, labour and colonialism with José García Oliva.  Read the full article here.

Art & the Public Sphere Journal. How May I Serve You? Report on online working. Volume 9, Issue 1-2, Dec 2020. Link here