A TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

A TRAVEL EXPERIENCE, design for a work of art for the new wing of a home for elderly, demented or physically unable people. I share the commission with Yvonne Dröge Wendel. Take a look at www.bies.nu and see the pictures (text is in Dutch)..

> To get to know the people we organise three workshops where we create woolen objects. Not the result counts but our insights in the situation in order to design a good artwork for the spot.
The loose bits of wool have to be rubbed on an object to make it turn into felt. We stay six hours in every group. The enthousiasm to join in this 'senseless' activity is not big in the beginning. When the work progresses the people feel the urge to help us to finish the job.

  < As a result of our research we shifted our emphasis from 'dormant talents of inhabitants' to 'the right to do nothing'. The workshop in felting, tought us that there is a continuous pressure to act and to communicate. People are sitting most of the day facing eachother around a table. We commissioned ourself to find another, highly respected way of 'doing nothing' and create that in the house.
> Highly respected ways are p.h pilot in an jetplane, controller in an nuclear plant. Reading in the firstclass department of an airplane is ranked quite high as well. We decided to create a 'slice' of airplane (ambiguously like airplane/train/bus/flying saucer)in the long corridor connecting several departments of the house. A space, a hightech environment which gives an alibi to do nothing, to not communicate if you do not want to. It is a 'passivity' to bring your visitors to. It is where you are free to do any activity from reading, knitting to looking out of the 'window' to the unrolling landscape (video screens behind the windows).