Permanence Equation: A Self-Mapping Tool for Vocational Labor

Permanence Equation is a personal and collective cartographic device designed to audit the complex economies of vocational work. By mapping the tangible and intangible resources that sustain labor, the project examines the friction between passion and precarity through three critical axes: Remuneration (economic capital), Recognition (prestige and professional validation), and Retribution (psychosocial fulfillment).

Born from field research into vocational economies in Mexico, the project archives and compares the experiences of workers across the humanitarian and artistic sectors.

Conceived as an adaptable, open-source intervention, the tool is designed for high-pressure, precarious environments where economic and cognitive loads are heavy. It functions via a low-cost "print and play" format—utilizing basic stationery like post-its and blank paper—yet it is modular enough to be scaled for complex institutional contexts through specialized tokens and targeted prompts for critical reflection.