Untitled Walks

Series of itineraries described by hotel staff. View them here

Commissioned by Carrie Anne Duff & Catherine Y. Serrano for Mint Hotel Tower of London as part of The Whitechapel Gallery and London Metropolitan's joint MA curating programme.

July 7th - Sept 31st 2011

Project Proposal

May 2011

DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK

A Guest enters the hotel and, having been greeted at the Reception Desk, has their attention drawn to a written invitation to take a walk. Their interest piqued, they ask the receptionist for details. A phone call locates another member of hotels staff, who, having volunteered, has defined a walk for others to take. The Guest is given directions towards the kitchen (for example) and is met by the member of staff who describes a circular route from the hotel which they often take on their lunch break. Without the aid of a map, the route is relayed verbally. The Guest pays close attention, thanks the member of staff and proceeds to walk out of the hotel, out into the streets, in search of the route.

MY INTEREST

I am interested in how the walks are defined as artwork against their function as 'everyday' activities and in the process of interaction between the author of the walk and the Guest as a means to define the walking of the route as distinct from any other. I will work with each volunteer to identify a walk which will be described by them to the Guest and how the route is described, distinguished from other possible routes and transformed into a walk worthy of being deemed 'art.

I will not, however, insist that the walk is known to the volunteer - that it has been walked by them or is part of a habitual movement in the city; the walk may, therefore, be a fiction, an imagined movement, a desired movement. The veracity of the route will not be immediately verifiable. However, these facts may be revealed through conversation that the Guest has with the volunteer. It is imagined that the volunteer's walk will be assumed to provide some historical, sociological or autobiographical insight. This is not necessarily the case in all instances and the Guest may be presented with an extra-ordinary or even impractical route.

DEVELOPING THE WORK

Development of the work begins with the artist working with hotel management to find potential volunteers among their staff. Once identified, the artist meets each volunteer, explaining what will be required of them in order to fulfil this performance, helping them to recall an appropriate route that they can readily describe to Guests. The hotel workers are drawn from the various roles performed within the hotel, from cleaner, to cook, to manager, to security guard. It is imagined that 2-5 volunteers will be found, although this number may be varied, depending on the management’s wishes. The briefing of staff by the artist is expected to take no more than 15-20 minutes per person. The artist will work with the management to ensure that the protocol for interaction between Guest, receptionist and other hotel worker(s) is clear, workable and understood by all hotel staff involved in the performance of this work.

PERFORMING THE WORK

Once staff members have identified their route and have been instructed in how to describe it, the work is ‘actioned’ through the front/reception desk. This ‘actioning’ could be through an invitation by the receptionist, or from a Guest who has previously been made aware of the existence of the work.

A framed print of the instructional-text/invitation hangs in the lounge bar, prompting Guests to request access to the work. A copy of this instructional-text/invitation is left behind the reception desk, (or could be displayed nearby.)

AT THE END OF THE EXHIBITION PERIOD

Once the exhibition has ended, the work will be ‘gifted’ to the Mint Hotel Tower of London. Should the Hotel wish to re-exhibit the work at this venue, or sell it, express permission should be sought from the artist. The Hotel’s ownership of this work does not preclude the artist from making similar work at other hotel venues. The gift of the work entitles re-exhibition at the Tower of London venue only. The work ceases once all participating employees no longer work at the hotel.

THE PRINTED INVITATION TO HOTEL GUESTS

Ask at the reception desk and you will be introduced to a member of the hotel's staff.

They will describe a route that they have walked and which you may choose to follow.