11 February 2010
Dear Michael,
After having dinner with you last Monday, I returned home to find a note on my door from my landlord. This combined with some other things of late have led me to feel a strong and rather urgent need to vacate my life altogether to the greatest extent possible without losing everything.
If it may work out, could I possibly have your space to meet this end? There are some things that I need the space to work through, and would prefer to do so by working through a series of gestures of sorts, and preferably in a space that is domestic but as empty and as neutral as possible.... It seems that your space is ideal for this sort of thing. It is a little bit hard to explain, but I feel that some things may be resolved if I am able to concentrate on doing these actions that have to do with exploring different personas or tasks...
It is most important that this is your space and that I am able to occupy it freely for a full week. You and I have quite a formal relationship, and yet it seems important somehow that it is your space and that you are giving it to me for this duration.
Perhaps it is partly because I just can't figure out how to be very minimal, I have this sort of list of tasks or exercises that I want to do every evening that I am there. Grossly repetetive, the tasks may be partly a way to account for the time whilst avoiding going through the rote motions of the lists of activities that generally occupy and whitewash the hours outside of work.
I will document the sort of product from each evening in the form of a 20 minute video per night, and probably some photo stills, writing, and other ephemera.
Should you want or need to, you are welcome to stay at my place for that week, or if would make more sense-- you are welcome to use my space at some time in the future for a similar duration for whatever purpose you are in need of.
Of course, I am well aware that your landlord lives above you and that it is a residential space, and I will take quiet hours and other guidelines that you lay out into respectful account, and assume that if you use my space now or in the future that you will do the same.
It was nice to see you the other night, and I look forward to seeing you this Saturday.
Sincerely,
Katrina Lamb
16 February 2010
Michael,
I forgot to tell you-- I got your address mixed up last weekend and got off at 19th. I was wandering down your street and called a couple of people (including you) trying to find the address. Eventually I gave up, took my shoes off, and followed this interesting piece of red ribbon, figuring it was as good a use as any of the early afternoon.
Katrina
http://michaelzheng.org/LiVEWORK/past_events.html
