THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

The work consists of first preparing a totally empty room, with totally empty walls. One of the walls, which was made of glass, had to be covered in order to achieve a suitably neutral environment for the work to take place. The participating audience, which has come together by chance for the opening, has been locked in in this room. The door has been hermetically closed without the audience being aware of it. The point is to allow people to enter and to prevent them from leaving. I have taken prisoners. Here the work comes into being and these people are the actors. There is no possibility to escape, in fact the spectators have no choice; they are obliged, violently, to participate. Their positive or negative reaction is always a form of participation. The end of the work, as unpredictable for the viewer as it is for me, is nevertheless intentioned. Will the spectator tolerate the situation passively? Will an unexpected event – help from the outside – rescue him from being locked in? Or will he proceed violently and break the glass?

Carnevale in Copeland/Anti-Museum