First day at Putney Library: unplanned moment of interaction between people

I went there without any apprehension. I had no expectations. I had no target in terms of photographs to take or postcards to write. My only concern was to know whether I would be able to fix the bus stop. It is made of 2 heavy pieces no easy to assemble. Fortunately, people at the Putney library are great especially Rob. Rob works in the library, he saw that I was struggling and he came to help, together we managed to fix the portable bus stop. Then Rob suggests that I use a trolley to carry the bus stop outside.


I put the fake bus stop next to a bench and I sat down, waiting for something to happen. Soon I realised that nothing was going to happen if I didn't try to engage with people. Some people hardly saw the bus stop, some saw it immediately and stopped. Some ran away as if I was contagious.

I made two friends Clare and Benard. Both had a story to tell in relation to Putney Art School which is very closed to Putney library. They questionned whether my project was really art. We talked and I asked Clare to take my portrait next to the bus stop. I find myself talking to Clare and Bernard about emotions and life, the things we'd regret and the things we could still do. It was an unplanned not for profit moment of interaction between  human beings living in London.

From theory to reality: tomorrow Putney Library

Tomorrow, I will be outside Putney Library with the fake bus stop. I am not sure if I will be able to carry it on my own, I might need some help to do that. For the first few days, I will indicate Love and then later on during the week I will indicate Fear perhaps. How incredible to spend the day next to a bus stop indicating Love...I shall wait for Love all day. I have my camera ready as well as my postcards. Tomorrow I am hoping that I will be able to take a few photographs and collect a few postcards too. But the street is impredictible...and the people too. I think I am going to observe if the object speaks for itself.

WIX Primary School

Last thurday I did my first workshop with the children. The teachers had warned me that it would be very difficult to convey my message, 'too abstract' they told me, 'they are only 8'. So I started by asking them what they thought art was. They replied painting, pottery, sculpture, collage, photography...they knew quite a lot already, they even mentionned Picasso, Monet, Miro, Van Gogh. That was a really good start but it was time to speak about my project. I told them that I didnt know how to paint or sculpt or draw and in fact I was rather clumsy but one of the thing I was really good at was to have ideas and one day, as I was waiting for the bus, I wished a bus would come to take me to the country 'Love'. I wished buses would take me to emotions I wanted to experience. So I asked the children to tell me the 'countries of emotions' they would like to experience too. We then had the most amazing session with children coming up with about 20 different emotions : Jalousy, relief, joy, humour, kindness, rage, fear, pity, peace, sadness, panic, generosity, stress...That was all very good and both with the teacher we decided to give them the postcards. I explained how I wanted them to pick one emotion of their choice and explain how they could relate to it and write this on the postcard that would be sent to wandsworth art department. All these postcards would be shown at a later stage during an exhibition.

After the session, I was thrilled and excited. The children had got it immediately, it wasn't too abstract or too difficult, in fact it seems it was quite easy for them to escape to a country emotion.
One little boy said: 'I would like to travel to the country Love because I love a girl and I would like to take her there so I could marry her', another one said' I would like to travel to Envy, that way I would want everything on that planet food and toys'.

These children were exceptional!

Looking for volunteers

I have posted about three different ads on artjobs and they still did not pass the moderating system. So no volunteers so far. I have decided to email all the people I know and ask tem for help, we will see.

Project starting tomorrow at Wix Primary School

The project is starting tomorrow at Wix primary school, it is all very exciting, the fake dolly bus stop must be delivered to the school tomorrow too. It is going to be difficult to explain the project to 8 years old children. In fact, I have tried already with my son and showed him the picture with the feelings. I asked him, so what do you think of this picture? what does it say to you? He looked at me speechless and say 'I don't understand anything you are saying!'.... promising.

Perhaps this is a start, we can talk about the things that they actually don't understand.

Working on the press release

I just had two great telephone meetings, at last some contact with Transport for London, they are happy with the idea to put a fake bus stop in my children's school. Their PR department is going to help me with the press release too.I have just finished the press release and will send it to Transport for London for approval. I have realised that I need to CRB check myself if I want to do a workshop at school.

I am looking for people to help

I can't do it on my own, I have tried to speak to friends but although they sound enthusiastic at first, they are not showing any help. As a result I have decided to recrut people, one intern and volunteers to help me. I have posted an ad, let us wait and see.