Subway is based on my descriptions of travelers on the New York subway during my artist residency In Kentler's, Redhook Brooklyn in 2004. During 42 journeys – some short, some long – I closely described the appearance and behaviour of the person who sat, or stood, opposite me while making notes of the exact times.
In the performative installation Subway, these descriptions are read out in the same time frame as in which they were written. The different descriptions are read at the same time by different voices. As it takes longer to write sentences than read them out, long silences arise as a result of which the voices sometimes overlap each other and sometimes don’t. 15 speakers are spread out through the space on chairs distributed randomly. They change places every time they start to read out the descriptions of the next journey. The audience, which also takes place on the chairs for as long as they want, can experience this stream of data as a sound-impression or try to follow the text about a certain traveler.
year
2004
location
various
brief description
Noted down and timed observations on the NY subway are read aloud in a public space with an audience.
curator
various
photography
Toine Horvers
further information
Subway as part of the exhibition 'Neo-beginners' by Reinaard Vanhoe, performed in Tent auditorium and restaurant Hun Kee in Rotterdam by Danielle Lemaire, Mariëlle Videler, Ton Pompert, GuusVreeburg, Mette Sterre, Coty Ampt, Wim konings, Marcelle van Bemmel, Jan Grolleman, Peter Fengler, Jozef van Rossum, Nikki Lunenburg, Hieke Pars, and myself.
The speakers were all friends and acquaintances who I chose because of their particular voice or characteristic manner of speaking. Some of them are performance artists, others are used to speaking in public for other reasons.
Subway as part of the project 'Brains Unlimited' in Scheltema, Leiden, performed by a workshop group directed by theatre director Paul Koek
project or event
various
In restaurant Hung Kee Rotterdam. Photograph: Hans Wilschut
In Tent Rotterdam
In Scheltema Leiden
Subway, compilation indiv.
Subway, compilation with 8 individually recorded voices