21.11.2024
168 Hours Watercarrying
Biel City Space
Monday 25/08/2014, 00.00h until Sunday 31/08, 24.00h
The lead role in this 168 hours duration, non-stop-project, was given to an old metalic water kettle which was carried through the city by ever alternating persons performing in hourly relays. Passing through appartment buildings and various shops the kettle then reached a significant place where it was emptied out, again refilled at a lakeside spot and then returned to its original starting point.
This point of departure was in a centrally located spot in Biel where the kettle was watched over by a "guardian" who unobtrusively "occupies" the place for one hour in an hourly rhythm of alternating persons. Intended was a wordless, bodypresence oriented state of "just being here" ; A fluctuation between everyday and performative standing, walking, minimal movement or statuary pose.
The „guardian" was the person who had returned with the kettle after 50 minutes to the starting point. At first she standed beside the kettle and waited until, on the hour, the next person took over and went his way through the city.
The route lead through the performance "occupied" urban space locations of the 12th „Schweizerische Plastikausstellung", LE MOUVEMENT. The person with the waterkettle intervened everywhere where performances were being held, discerning and following her own interpretation of where the intuitive line of division between the public and performers may lead.
"168 Hours Watercarrying" envisages itself as a complementary action to the „Plastikausstellung" and welcomes the direction of thought that sculptural art is not merely a materialised idea, an object or a piece of sculpture to be seen; Rather it is something substantially corporeal imbued with human physical energies.
In the simple act of watercarrying nothing is shown to give a reason for the requirement of an audience. Addressed here is the general publicity mirrored in the anonymity of the passersby.
24 hours presence investment in the project by Glynis Ackermann, Rolf Brügger, Suzanne Castelberg, Gisela Hochuli, Angela Hausheer, Jacob Jansen, Hansjorg Köfler, Agnieszka Obuchowicz, Elizabeth Schär, Chen Tan, Thomas Zollinger. Further watercarriers involved interested persons from Biel, other parts of Switzerland and overseas. Concept and Management: Thomas Zollinger. Photo Horst Jerina.
This project was supported by the city of Biel, Department of Berne, Ernst-Göhner Foundation.