Why Do We Do the Things We Do?
Kampintori 25.9-29.10.2015
Conversation room, 5 conversationalist, infinite amount of citizens to have conversation with, loudspeakers
Together with Ariel Bustamante and Ava Grayson
'Why Do We Do the Things We Do?' is one short but complex question, asked in a moment of crisis. With this as the starting point, artist Ariel Bustamante and his working group have been exploring verbal exchange as a means of participatory thinking and investigating the collective mechanisms behind our drives. By engaging with the public in one-on-one conversation, Bustamante and his group question their assumptions and certainties in order to build a new possible place of understanding with others.
A large outdoor sound sculpture allows daily dialogue to take place between the group and the community. The sculpture functions both as a space in which the conversations happen and where excerpts of these interviews are selected. Loudspeakers embedded in the sculpture broadcast the excerpts into the surrounding space, creating a living communion with the citizens and inviting them to become part of the work.
To participate in this project firsthand, we ask a minimum commitment of 45 minutes.