<
https://theconversation.com/we-spent-a-month-writing-and-reading-in-glass-boxes-we-read-faster-wrote-more-and-inspired-passersby-259797>
"Lucy Christopher, a new mother, had been trying to return to her
work-in-progress for several months, but could find neither time, headspace,
nor validation that writing was worth the time away from her child.
Why should she spend time writing when it would likely bring few financial
rewards? Anyway, could she still write? Perhaps having a baby had permanently
lessened her ability to think creatively for sustained periods?
She had the idea of using public installation as a method to investigate and
inspire her creative process. Perhaps writing in a public glass box, something
a little like performance art, could be a way to reclaim the role of writer?
Throughout the month of June, we were among 11 writers and 30 readers who spent
time sitting in glass boxes in a public square in Hobart for the WritersBLOCK /
ReadersBLOCK project. The project was part of the Hobart City Council’s
InsideOUT initiative, in which boxes containing visual art are displayed around
the city.
People were able to watch local writers working in real time, and readers
consuming books by Tasmanian authors. Writers and readers became creative
artefacts, allowing observers to witness the humans at the centre of the
struggling literary industry.
Over 30 books were read and more than 30,000 words were written. Members of the
public stopped to look at the blocks roughly every minute. About a third of
them stopped for longer, to take photographs or read the artist’s statement.
The participants were given space to notice what has been blocking their
ability to write or read. Everyone involved was invited to consider why we
value reading and writing in name but not in action, and to consider what is
needed to preserve these increasingly uncommon activities in Australia."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
