SITE :Sherman Straub - Site Without Context (USA)

There is a one-story structure approximately 10 meters deep and 20 meters long. There are two small windows, one on each short wall, and the only door spans the entire height and width of the front long wall. The walls themselves are cold, grey concrete, bare with the exception of two smiley-faces and the word "May" graffitied on the wall opposite the door. The floor is also concrete. The ceiling rafters are exposed and the roof forms a shallow upside-down "V."

Let's say that this structure exists without any context; that is, it is surrounded by a void. This might as well be true. Let's also say, for now, that the space contains only six things.

This is not true.

1. A camera

2. A projector

3. A video monitor

4. Either a second projector or monitor

5. A set of speakers

6. One 19-year-old male

Inside the one story structure there is a 19 year old male. He may do what he wants inside the space, but only the things he has previously listed exist inside the space.

That is:

1. A camera

2. A projector

3. A video monitor

4. Either a second projector or monitor

5. A set of speakers

6. 3.5 bikes

7. 2 electric lawn mowers and 1 broken rototiller

8. Two wooden house doors

9. LOTS of cardboard

10. A tent (sleeps 3 comfortably)

11. Misc. camping gear (hatchet, bedrolls, hammers, tarp, flashlights, canned goods, etc)

12. Kindling for a fire (might not want to trust fire in the space though - but other heating things could be available.

As well as a stopwatch, paper and a pen/pencil (writing material).

The twist is, the longer he remains in the space (and he must remain in the space as long as he can) the smaller the space becomes. With every 15 minute spent in the structure, one half of the space becomes part of the void - it ceases to exist. So for the first 15 minutes the male spends in the space he has full use of the 10 x 20 m floor space, after those 15 minutes are up, half the space becomes invalid - only a 10 x 10 m floor space continues to exist for the male.

*Please see attached paint file for a drawing of the diminishing space.

Here is a list of the decreasing proportions by time:

Time(min)

15

30

45

60

75

90

105

120

135

150

165

180

Floor space (m2)

20 x 10

10 x 10  

10 x 5

5 x 5

5 x 2.5

2.5 x 2.5

2.5 x 1.25

1.25 x 1.25

1.25 x 0.625

0.625 x 0.625

• 0.625 x 0.3125

I don't know if you want to keep going?

After the male runs out of "valid" space in the structure, he must release himself into the non-context void......

Documentation:

Here is a list of words : evacuate, null, use, fade, vanish, release, out, in, dwindle, shrink, wane, withdraw.

As you experience each realm of space, you must choose one word from the list, and include it in a single line of poetry. You may only use each word once. The finished result will be a 12+ line poem. (If you re still in there for a 13 th line, you can choose your own word!)

Aswell as this, it would be good if you could take a still photograph of yourself from inside each space, every 15 minutes.

Preparation:

Before you start timing, you can enter the structure and clear any space you might need to, and put tape (red electrical tape) down to define the dimensions before you start the clock.