WENT OUT FOR CIGARETTES AND NEVER CAME BACK
ExhibitionALBERGO ROSA
(Maximiliaan Royakkers and Annee Grøtte Viken)
Sandberg Instituut
Amsterdam
2014
“Whenever I
see the alcove of a tastefully built Japanese room, I marvel at our comprehension of
the secrets
of shadows, our sensitive
use of shadow and light.
For the beauty of the alcove is not the work of some clever
device. An empty space is
marked off with plain wood and plain walls, so that the light drawn
into its forms dim shadows within emptiness. There is nothing more. And yet, when we gaze into the darkness
that gathers behind the crossbeam, around the flower
vase, beneath the shelves, though we know perfectly well it is mere shadow, we
are overcome with the feeling that in this small corner
of the atmosphere there reigns complete and utter silence;
that here in the darkness
immutable tranquility holds sway.”
― Junichiro Tanizaki, In Praise
of Shadows
ACT 1
‘TO PART’EXT. STANDARD GAS STATION, SOMEWHERE IN THE WEST, DAY.
Ed walks over to Pepper who is standing on the sidewalk by the gas station.
PEPPER:
I dont understand what happened, one minute it is perfectly fine, the next its gone. I could say that it was just an old stupid kiosk, but it almost feels like I don’t have a purpose anymore.
ED:
I know what you mean, it was so much more than a just a kiosk. I remember the traces that was on the wall behind the counter, the badly cut shelf where you stored the coffee, and the door to the backroom that would never close properly.
PEPPER:
Now everything is scattered around, floorboards, wallboards, doors, windows, its like they never belonged together. Its funny how the way you asume things to be can change just like that.
ED :
I remember the day you told me that you were thinking about starting a little kiosk, and if I wanted to join. I thought it was a great idea and we went down to the crossing where you had pictured it to be. We search for hours to find the ideal spot together, finally agreed on a placement we both found absolutely perfect-hidden enough so as not be to overwhelmed by the noise from the traffic, and visible enough for people to see, and drop by.
PEPPER:
I remember getting tools and materials like it was yesterday, I couldn’t wait to start building. We would spend every spare minute on the site, talking, building, eating, laughing...
[...]
