To my initial surprise, the project has become bigger than myself. I am writing this on Sunday, June 28th having almost completed my task, having folded 4060 pieces, and a patch approximately 40 of my feet in circumference to go. The concept has grown both as a scenography, and as something currently un-named but it is from the perspective of a human.
- As a scenography, the room is about perspective, atmosphere, and aesthetics.
- Perspective: The mirror in the middle of the room directly addresses the physical positioning and perspective of the spectator. Since the room is full the spectra stand just outside the door frame. It is only by changing positioning (conceptually getting out of your usual place and comfort zone) that they can begin to see what has been out of sight. To make an effort to see a difference. Here they see orange and red fold starkly contrasting the room full of white and cream. The red folds are the people and issues that exist even if they don’t directly affect you. They are easy to forget about, they are easy to be uninformed, naive, and ignorant about. This is why it is important to build the habit of sometimes stepping out of your everyday position, you might find something important, something beautiful something worth sharing.
- Atmosphere: The billowing curtain was an initial source of inspiration and documentation in the room. I wanted even with the new trajectory to incorporate it somehow. Through experimentation, I eliminated its presence as a source of sound or wind. The sound is too rustled when brushed again the papers and the wind holding the potential for a catastrophe for the small, standing papers. In the end, I tied the curtain down making it appear as if the wind was blowing in even with the window shut. Conceptually this is to increase the atmosphere that the room is frozen in time. Firstly for the metaphor, when you stop putting in the work nothing moves forward or changes... Secondly, because the entire work and experience is time-based, so once I have left the room the project itself stops. Nothing accumulates and nothing grows. After a conversation with a tutor, I realised that conceptually the project could be repeated but since my work is so based on time and experience mos likely the material with change with each iteration.
- Aesthetics: what began as a turn away from aesthetics into a conceptual performative installation has come full circle and is now an incredibly aesthetic topography. In reality, this is very positive for the concept because the topography, the visual side of the project, is abstract and refers to something different for everyone - I have heard a fungus, a mass, an occupation, a glitch, an ocean, etc. So the aesthetic causes curiosity which leads to conversation. A conversation that can easily transfer from aesthetics to heavier issues and opinions. As a person, I feel empowered by this, and I feel I have created an environment on empowerment.
2. Humans helping humans. Empowerment rather than punishment.
As mentioned, I have consciously been trying to create an environment of empowerment rather than punishment. For me, the project was never about punishment but a tutor mentioned early on that I needed to be careful not to make it come across as such. Fortunately and to my surprise, two activities have developed that have naturally, and thankfully, fought against this notion of punishment.
- Giving their notebooks: Soon after the papers began growing in the room classmates, friends, and colleagues have given me paper. Countless old notebooks from myself. Math homework from my husband. Life drawings, sketchbooks, and journals from classmates. Paper bought in march for a different project. Recycled envelopes from Het Huis. A couple of irrelevant bills and adds that came through my mailbox. The contents of the recycling bin at the binding workshop of Oudenoord. A water-damaged book. An old planner from a restaurant in Utrecht. I find the fact that humans are helping humans in such a simple activity very beautiful.
- Folding with me in a dialogue. Whist folding one Saturday evening I had someone approach me and ask to help. I needed to think about this . . . do I let other people help me fold? The answer is/was yes. This was a decision also close to my personality, that I could very potentially be a hypocrite about. Accept help. Welcome people who want to give you their time and energy. The folding sessions offered an opportunity to connect and communicate with people about difficult topics, and the dark side of human experience in an environment that is creative and beautiful.
