Canteen Pending

Publication date: 2021-02-01

Author:

Hallinan, Fiona
Van Hulle, Nathalie ; Duta, Diana

Abstract:

This embroidered head pillow invites its audience to pause and rest, encouraging time to be unproductive. The headrest broadcasts an audio piece that reflects on the end of the former Majolica canteen at Viernulvier art institution in Ghent. Internal team members were invited by artist Fiona Hallinan to speak about their experience of the former canteen. Hallinan offered participants a specially made drink designed to stimulate memory and, drawing on an audio interview technique known as the ‘Schwartz’ method, invited them to lie on the ground in the former canteen in reduced lighting and asked them to describe a time in the space in the present tense. The recordings were edited and mixed by sound artist Diana Duta to create a sound piece broadcast from the headrest, installed in the new canteen. Hallinan completed the embroidery of the textile during a residency at Viernulvier, and textile artist Nathalie Van Hulle transformed the material into a donut shaped cushion that could rest on a pillar in the room. This project is part of doctoral research by Hallinan on the development of the concept of ‘Ultimology’, the study of endings. Ultimology explores ways of making space to look at endings, drawing on established practices of mourning and care to collectively pay attention to the passing from this life of material and immaterial entities. The audio piece is 12:07 minutes long