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1984 Live installation ‘The Office’
Arnhem, Kunstcentrum De Gele Rijder
‘The Office’ was a project that took place during the ‘STAD’ festival in Arnhem. Various artists were commissioned to create something related to the theme of the city. Some artists made installations in the Kunstcentrum De Gele Rijder, while others were asked to do something with a traveling bus throughout Arnhem. I myself created the installation ‘The Office’ in the De Gele Rijder gallery.
During regular opening hours from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the gallery transformed into an office. People could enter and explore the office. I walked around as the office director, and four women worked all day at their desks. They typed reports and diary entries from me, which they distribu- ted to the visitors of the office. It was an open day for the office, where we simulated the activities of an ordinary office. My own art hung on the walls. The large photos suggested windows with views of New York, framed like normal windows, with a plant in front, just like in a regular office.
For me, the city is important due to its influence on our lives. And the office represents the idea of ‘city’ to me. Moreover, it was the year 1984, the well-known year from George Orwell’s book ‘1984’. The idea was that we are influenced by structures hidden behind office walls, and these offices are found all over the streets. We have no secrets anymore due to the all-seeing eye of Big Brother in the office.
This work raises various questions, such as who works in all those office buildings, who makes decisions about my life, and what the typical structure of an office is. It explored the relationship between the city, individual experience, and the pervasive presence of bureaucracy and control. By presenting the office as an art installation, my intention was to raise awareness around these themes and invite visitors to contemplate the structures and power dynamics that influence our daily lives.
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