we are walking
and in the supermarket the different fridges and freezers are waiting for us with a big
huuuummmmm
what are they waiting for?
they are waiting for us to huuuuummmmm alongggggg
stop walking
In the middle of the supermarket. we are walking

we are walking. and we’ve walked some streets over and over. and in this city the streets don’t seem to erode. they have been renovated over and over. it is our shoes that erode all a hum

we are walking. and as we walk everything changes, and the world is very different depending were we walk upon. we walk we walk and the word seems to be’long’. but then we walk and the word reveals itself to be ‘roll’, like a tongue, running surface, tasting water

and when we walk we are cleaning, with a broom or a hum. and when we clean we are walking on the steps of a worm. and as we walk we do wander. and we wonder where we are at.

in relation to where we came from or how we feel about that

they’ve told me there is no way out
and we will continue walking on the same streets we are walking they’ve told me there is no way out
i’ll have to carve it (or carve it)
but in which direction will i carve?
knowing that i’ll keep walking

I can stop walking

Our show Living Room is inspired by a local sofa store situated in De Clercqstraat.
The sofa store in De Clerqstraat offers a very special service: customers can try out their sofas
in a cinema situated in the store’s underground level. I first got to know about this because of a poster advertising the service in their vitrine (I bike this path every Wednesday). So I booked a time slot and took myself on a date to this velvety red, David Lynchie, underground cinema. Held my hand firmly as I felt uncomfortable stepping into a store knowing most probably I would come out empty-handed. At this moment I’m not looking for sofas, I guess... I’ll surely see you in my next life-time?

I’ve had this feeling many times. Sometimes. Even. Knowing. I DO want to buy something. But if I step into a shop and I’m immediately asked how I can be assisted, a better-get-out-of-this- place-because-I-don’t-know-what-I-want-or-if-I even-want-something wakes up. It took training to reassure a young employee that they are doing a great job attending to me, and that I’ll take my
time and let them know if they can help me and then allow our two animal bodies to rearrange themselves in space, comfortably forgetting each other.

As a waitress, I used to let customers smell the restaurant before I’d ask how can I help. Allow them to first ask themselves the question... or actually to ask me: ‘How can I help you?’
Yes.
‘What have you come here to offer?’ I’d ask.

It was even better when the boss was not around. Then I’d play Latin American music in the Turkish restaurant and customers would ponder and contemplate about the complexity of our identities while enjoying Mücver. Strangely I now feel very familiar with cooking and eating Turkish foods and sometimes they are my go-to dishes.

And it was eeeven better when they’d see I was the only one serving.
And if on top of that, it was raining outside! and they came in wet! and we were blessed by the wind blowing napkins outside, raining on the dishes, making a mess... while they knew I was the only one serving, and the music playing:

And everyone getting up (remember they came in wet already) and going outside with me. THUNDERS!!!
We are all responsible for saving the things outside now... otherwise NOBODY WILL EAT TONIGHT!!! AAAGHH-HAHAHA!!! and the boss might come in any minute and he reeeeeaaaally shouldn’t find things in the rain!!!
WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND!!!
The candles on the tables inside would shine brighter!!! OMG they knew, they really knew it
was their time to shine and they were giving it all (in the middle of a storm). The customers wet, their appearance WET hh. Water washed everything at the entrance. FLUSH. ‘Can I help you dry your jacket?’ ‘We can hang it on the heater?’ ‘Would you like to remove anything else?’ With a warning that they will have to wait because I was the only one serving, waiting felt actually ok
as long as the heat was on.
As a party host, I’ve accidentally arrived to my house later than the time I invited someone. To open the door and find them already in my room (a roommate had opened the door).
This show was done as a response to the desire to hold a film screening in the underground cinema in De Clerqstraat. After the idea was proposed to the store and rejected, collective artist-run project space Marwan invited me to curate an exhibition and I thought this fantasy was a good starting point to invite artists whose works are in relation with different beings, in an exchange of attention, vital energy and living room. In one way or another using different qualities they attend a relation with their surroundings, be it people, family, objects, vegetation, insects or spectators. This exhibition is composed of 4 ingredients:
(1. a living room setting with works by Dagmar Bosma, Dee Hehewerth, Karin Iturralde Nurnberg, Tirza Kater, Tim Mathijsen, Boyan Montero
(2. a YouTube playlist of video works by Lauren Fong, Fernanda Laguna, Sara Milio, Tawna Collective (with Sani Montahuano), Adela Nenquimo and Denisse Vega de Santiago
(3. a set of 10 keys that are spread among some of Marwan’s visitors as an invitation to use the space as their living room in the city center. They are welcome to come meet someone, bring their own snacks, expand Marwan’s opening hours, receive a zoom call, use the toilet, take a nap, make time between two meetings or anything else. wake up the space to its potentials.
(4. the suggestion of visiting the sofa store in De Clerqstraat to watch the video playlist
You can book an appointment in the secret cinema under the sofa store and see the videos in the red velvety dark environment. We will also screen the videos every Sunday of the show to make sure they have enough time and space given. Lastly you are also welcomed to see the videos on your phone while visiting ‘Living Room’ or later at your house, in your own living room space. For all of these please possibilities find instructions on the other side of the page.
xx, Karin
please note that the store has nothing to do with this show, and we are in no way responsible for your visit