ARK and SALT collaborated on an environment out of cardboard structures (trees, campfire, moon…) to create a forest in which the events could take place.

We used the Reading Room at the ICA as a space where we set up the rug and the frame and specific events where happening throughout the night, for example a sound performance by Harkeerat on the rug where the participants could pick up head phones, a discussion about internet-based art and stand-up comedy performances. The frame was used to address the public and invite them into a private space which could be used as a place to vent for the duration of eight minutes. Alongside this people could write down their venting and then cathartically burn it in the campfire! 

Originally we wanted to set up the tent away from the other structures but in continuation to allow reflection and focused discussion however for health and safety reasons the tent was not allowed to be entered. Instead we tried to still use it as a communicative space by setting up a live sound transmission between the campfire and the inside of the tent. Inside the tent was also a miniature cardboard version of the environment as a entity, transforming the tent into a viewing space.

The need for an audience to interact with the structures was made nearly impossible by the ICA setting the room capacity of the Reading Room to only eight people at a time making the space really inaccessible and exclusive. We felt that we were exposed to ‘real life’ limitations and were disappointed at the time but now we think it offered a good opportunity to experience the mechanisms of a pre-established institution.