The Washroom Projects - Introduction

The Washroom Projects

The Washroom Projects (TWP) is a live art-platform for a networked group of artists that participate for the common goal making up the TWP spirit which in essence is buoyant in so-called "primitive" cultures, within their rituals and carnivals. The aim is to make people aware of their own cultural semiotic values and make them sensitive to the environment in which generations have blindly excepted imprisonment by exposing our most intimate moments. It is an on-going site specific live art project that incorporates all kinds of physical performance, video and sound art. TWP is made up of individual performance projects.

TWP achieves this by transforming public space into live art space (performance and exhibition arenas or work process studios). Since conception (December 2004) the artistic exposure of TWP has received positive media interest. However, I have expanded our artistic activities (interactive site specific performance installation) to vairous different places and also get involved in events organised by third parties. Therefore I created The Washroom Collective which constists of regularly invited artists. The rest of The Washroom Projects-Team consists of other artists which are to be found on the sites for specific events. The main objectives for the The Washroom Collective is to explore specific sites / locations, reveal "the hidden" and explore the boundaries of our daily lives / fantasies and concentrate more on the process than on an actual final product.

TWP has no highly political nor a deeply philosophical statement. We only want to wake up the dormant mass because we believe in the power and strength of every individual person who has the ability to change their environment into something positive.

Organising TWP and discussion / discourse with participating artists is a vital and eminent off-stage live art action which is not seen by the public but is the essential engine for all public performances and live art events. I personally use TWP in order to explore and develop my own artistic space via interaction with various artists.

Three ways of transformation

1. The transformation of space is being executed via a process (work in progress) inside the space. Performers, visual and sound artists come together and create installations over a certain amount of days and hours. The whole process is controlled via interaction (sound, video, signs etc.) During the event I am trying to lead all artits into a specific direction in order to create "something" which is the analysis of the whole overall concept for the specific loaction / event. Click here for more details (Foundry, 13 - 18 September 2005)

2. Based on a certain time of research on "hidden things" (all the things / facts which do not appear on the immediate surface but form the basis of other hidden things or the things we see) related to a specific location I attempt to transform washroom facilities into three-dimensional mind maps using various samples, thought-structure-maps, mind maps and other research material which can be placed on the walls, on shelves or painted and drawn onto the walls, floor and ceiling. These site-specific installations can be permanent, temporary or partly permanent /temporary. These three-dimensional mind maps do not provide a final answer nor the ultimate knowledge but simply can help generate ideas and understanding. They can be continued by another person or team. The basic function of the space (especially the washroom facilities) is not to be changed. click here to view more details (photos)

3. Space (especially washroom facilities) can be transformed by simply painting the walls based on the immediate feeling you have when entering the washroom facilities. click here to view more details (photos)

I would like to focus develop the first way in future.

Performances

relates to point 2 and 3 above (transformation of space)!

On acceptance of a proposal for the transformation of a space an organisation panel (PR, marketing, running order/stage management etc.) for the TWP-Event is to be created and all the performers have to be recruited from the existing pool (TWP-artists) and The Washroom Collective who need to study the process of the transformation in order to "complete" (performance: par = completely / beyond; parfomir = provide; accomplishment, achievement, realization, interpretation) the transformed washrooms with their own individual performances which can be music, dance, storytelling, poetry, physical theatre, live art, science art etc. They translate the info / the work into their own specific language. That is why the study of the work and especially the process is crucial. The performances take place on the day of the TWP-Event.

Involvment of the audience

The involvment of the audience is a key objective and is achieved by simply not giving the audience their own audience space in order to make the spectators naturally a part of the performance / art action space.

TWP-Event

relates to point 2 and 3 above (transformation of space)!

The Washroom Projects-Event is the day of the launch of the transformed washrooms. Various artists perform within the washroom-facilities and create a certain buzz that generates excitement and a feeling of involvement in the art work - audience and performers become one. The way the event is conducted depends on the location. The costs for the event are structured by the client and are to be kept minimal. The event needs to be accessible to a wide audience.