Into The White

An exploration of potential in response to the spiritual community space at Arts@Trinity and its new neighbour Trinity Leeds shopping centre.

During this one week residency I tried to observe theses place who shared namesakes by spending time with the people who occupied these spaces. 

At the church people came in off the street to spend time thinking, singing, praying and sometimes they wanted to talk to somebody.  As I was there they talked to me; about their problems, anxieties, family and passions.

In the shopping centre I mainly spent time with the shop assistants and managers on the pretext that I wanted them to give me paper for my project while I observed those coming and going. 

I was thinking about Kenya Hara's White again and I thought a lot about a line which talks about 'ladeling purity out of chaos'. 

To me the church enviorment, although it appeared to be chaotic it was generally a quiet space where people came to find something; a friend, some peace, resolve.  The shopping centre on the other hand looked serene and was full of light and activity, but it seemed here too people came to find something; an object that could give them happiness.

I considered this similar role of both sites; providing potential contentment and the seeking activities visitors to both undertook.  I tried to distill this aspiration into something visual.  With the materials donated by the shopping centre I created what I felt to be a physical symbol of the desires and aspirations that I witnessed in both spaces.  The brown cardboard box representing the human led by a white sheet of paper; a symbol of aspiration to be pure and beautiful.