My project is to write something everyday about the experience of the residency: minimum one word and maximum three pages. And to do one art mark, sketch, or work each day building up to doing a Berlin painting or series.
The next day consisted of unpacking the lumps of dead weight that were my suitcases and setting things up. Why had I brought six staplers, none of which worked on these concrete walls, seven pairs of scissors for each kind of tapes I use and no tapes, seventeen paintbrushes, books by the proverbial ton, and eight sets of thermal leggings and vests? Surely this was panic packing. What happened to my light-hearted approach of a small satchel for one year in the East containing only one set of knickers, shirt and skirt for ‘good'? My mitigation is that I am to be here for three months working in freezing winter whilst the other was an exploring journey in hot climates. Oh yes.
Well the above and more had to find places to be put, the equivalent of a dog peeing everywhere to stake out his territory. The pissing for me, was all done out of my double doors, down the unheated hall to the communal loos. All very clean and proper, though not quite convenient at night. Showering is also across the hall in the storeroom for the cleaner's equipment but has hot water unlike the kitchen. This resulted in my being walked in on, twice, while hot showering away, because of incomprehension of language. A comedy of errors.
