22 March 2003
Petrorialaan – Zuid / Saturday market. From 14.45 to 16.15
No team. A new Saddam puppet is replacing the missing one.

The theatre travels further again, this time to the south of Rotterdam, to the most multicultural area of the city, Africanderplein.
Long walk, tram, walk again, got to the market, find the perfect spot. Not easy, but I decided to position it in the crossing road, that somehow divides the market, and creates a little empty area which gives space for people to see the structure already from a distance. The ground was not straight, and it from time to time the wind blows a bit stronger, therefore I stood next to the puppet theatre all the time. This, I know already from previouse experiences, brings a lot of comments and congratulating words but not actual play. The passer-by immediately recognizes me as the “owner” of the puppet theatre, and I guess they find to big a step to play when someone responsible for it is standing there, like I would have some expectations on what should happen that they don’t know how to fulfill. Anyway, the responses were various, for the first time I saw some gazes of disapproval, like I am playing with to bigger subject. But mainly thumbs up!
The war is going for two days now, but I can’t really tell anymore. I wonder today if this structure was now a reminder. Ok, we are all here doing our groceries, but somewhere a country is being bombed and these guys took part of it. I should add the Portuguese prime minister also and join the fact that half of the world is actually ashamed of being connected to their countries. All the North Americans I talk to, the Dutch, the Spanish. Again today there’s an international demonstration against the war, and I find more important to stay here.

The children as always are enthusiastic with the sight of a puppet theatre, but a bit disappointed when the see the characters, what happen regularly today, was that some parents took the opportunity to explain or asked them who is who. Saddam, Bush, Blair, Balkenende.

The almost performative act of carrying the folded structure was today even more apparent today, because of the walk, tram and metro traveling, raising some dialogue, and demands for explanation, and a lot of help from bystanders. What is it? Why? – Great!

The cathartic use felt 2 days ago was gone, it became a bit didactic for curious children, a reminder for some, and almost monumental for others that recognizes in the structure a sort of symbolism to those who are against the war. Over and over, I hear, it not good, they are all the same and as always the empathic laugher. Today I though about the relation as empathic because it seems like an identification for someone that thinks the same. Thus I wonder, the same as whom, the structure or me? Is then the Puppet theatre structure sending a direct message and gathering the sympathy of those who, for example in this specific moment that the war brook out, don’t agree with the decision of the United states and also of Europe, or that they agree that all these politicians are puppets, maybe in the hands of each other, or even because they see them leveled down to the category of harmless puppets, giving us a break from all this nasty news we’ve just saw at lunch and will see over and over again at dinner. All of these can only be supposition, but I felt strongly today, a “we’re with you, keep on”.

Nice story of the day. While standing inside the metro carriage, passing one of the stops I saw a couple that last Thursday had a long talk with me about the war and the news, when they saw me and the folded cabinet, wave happily at me, and I back at them. If I keep going out as regularly as this I will soon get to be part of the cityscape.

posted by carla at 4:30 PM

20th March 2003
Binnenwegplein
From 15 – 17.20

The war started today, I had already decided to go out on this day because we all new that it would start. I dressed my military camouflage coat that I bought exactly for this occasion, to be always aware and make others aware that we too are in war. Through our vote, and governments, somehow we are also responsible.
I chose once more for the Binnenwegplein, it’s central, and gathers a lot of different people. My routine starts. Chosen the place I open the box, and let it happen. I group of young people came and played, gave me some stickers for the next demonstration in Amsterdam, and a button with a missile crossed with a red line, so today I am an activist.

Today I add to my cast, Balkenende, the Dutch prime minister. So Blair, Balkenede, Bush and Hussein now compose the group.
A strange day, because anyway life goes on, people eat their French fries in the sun; we all do our everyday life.
But it’s a different day, so many people played and talked with me. Mothers explain their children who is who, a teacher with a class add some material to the structure, such as a plastic pink gun that they glued with tape pointing at bush, and then made some pictures. Laugher, smiles that today made me fell a bit uncomfortable, giving the seriousness take by the warfare. I am doing the right thing here? I guess I am, given the amount of spontaneous participation. I stand close to it, far from it, asked people to play, they did, kids, adults, normally with or for friends. A teenager put up a whole theatre play for is friends making a lot of people gather around. Two girls found a completely new way of playing: one would stand behind it and hold bush and saddam up on the opening of the structure, and the other from the other side, toss the sticks –usually used by the puppets to hit each other on the heads – back at them as if they were missiles.

Sometimes it will go also quite boring, nobody stopping, or willing to play, so I went away for half an hour, also doing some daily life things, as buying toothpaste, necessary even when Iraq is being bombed.

Mainly teenagers were having a lot of fun, most of the people I spoke to think this all thing “sucks”, demonstrations are being organized, still we, I, fell completely hopeless. How can we make those men change their position?

Met some friends. Another walk around, took some pictures. Another friend came, talked a bit, considering finishing for the day, but first we decided to seat and enjoy the last rays of sun. I wasn’t until I took a better look at the theatre platform that I noticed that there were only 3 puppets, I had 4! – Where’s Saddam? Yes someone, I guess we even saw this guy, because he was the last one I remember next to the theatre, took Saddam. We look around, but it was too late. This was striking, I always considered that this might happen, that someone just decides to take a souvenir, or doesn’t like the idea of one of this characters being shown as a puppet, or like’s it too much. Still I guess I wasn’t ready to lose one, and not now. I friend latter told me that maybe this is a premonition, Saddam’s disappearance! And from this point on, the situation wet completely crazy, maybe not crazy but different from the polite participation I normally had. joyful, curious and harmless behavior.
2 other girls, just few minutes after, decided to take then bush and Balkenende, while I was still looking for Saddam, but a security guard, with whom I had a talk before about the project, and also about the disappearance of Saddam, came back with them. They read the “Kies en Poppen” just as -take one puppet- and they did, I wonder what about the “speel”? (Play). After a guy that asked a lot of questions, just throw “Bush” in the floor and step on it, and left. Today the structure really became a cathartic medium.

More people gather around, just to chat about the latest news.
I am still to shock today, the war, our powerless position, and Saddam nowhere to be found.

It was used as recognition of the situation, reminder, as a way to put some hanger away, to be able to laugh and take it easier, which in this specific context it’s not the most necessary attitude, I suppose we have to fell more sadness and rage. But considering the felling of hopelessness, that even when half of the European and American population shown their discontent about their represent ants decision, they weren’t heard, maybe we do need a laugh.

posted by carla at 11:31 AM

18 March 2003
Stationsplein – from 16.00 to 17.30
Team – Claudia

The war will start this week, they say (the media), everyone says, then.
After a hard working morning with Claudia transporting clay, talking about art, life and war, I decided that it is necessary to go out again, to a crowded place, which would be Central Station between 4Pm and 6PM.

First relevant commentary of the journey, (I have some buttons in my bag, one is an art project -Kun(s)t –the other is about being a LEGO constructer) Claudia told me, -If you had a button against the war in your bag you‘d be an activist – Which brings up the question am I not an activist, and an artists, which one is the more visible? Does it matter for the passer-by, potential participant to know weather I am one or the other, or both?

We arrived at Central Station, on the busiest door two huge horses with policemen sitting on. Ok, lets just take the other door, to keep a low profile and see how long we can stay.

Immediately, one of this “hanging at the CS” kind of boy came to us and ask what was all about it, and importantly, what do you gain with it, in the sense why do you do it, for money or for the cause? To which I had to respond for the cause, a bit doubting which is my cause, actually. But in the end he put it quite precisely- that the great thing about it, is that you don’t need to ask people their opinion about the war issue, they just show it.

After we hang around eating ice cream, and I guy in a wheelchair was searching for the responsible, and we accused ourselves by moving the platform to another position.
It turned out that this man is an Iraqi ex-military, wounded in the war by a hand grenade, a refuge in the Nederland’s, and also here to receive medical treatment, without which he wouldn’t survive, and he cannot have in Iraq. A person living with the double felling of wanting Saddam out of power so hoping that the war would do it, but also afraid for all his family and the people of Iraq. So he told us a little about his life, his opinions about the war and the politics, point out a very good issue, that even the countries that don’t support the war are doing it not for the people or moral reasons, but for economic reasons, they just will loose too much money with this war.

We kept talking with some people, some miss Bin laden on the scene (always, I guess because is also one symbol of war and power- someone said today then it would be the 4 terrorists), others find it good work, and guess that it could be nice to do it.

At one point 2 girls started to play, one playing for the other, and then the watching start making pictures of the friends play.

Claudia left, and I stayed a bit longer, moved the structure to the busiest door, and realized that the PVDA party was also there giving out flyers announcing the next demonstrations against the war, 22nd of March Amsterdam. I though if it would be bad to be connect to a party or an anti-war movement, but it seemed ok, to be a bit in between, for a day that started with the difference between an artists and an activist – Activist were buttons and maybe give out flyers.

At 5PM, rushing hour, to busy to stop, don’t want to miss the train, but it made same impact; I guess people really ask themselves what is it all about, this puppets, the war. And even today we spoke of the felling of impotence towards the decisions of those in power. Sun coming down, until next time, hope still in a “sort of “ peaceful state.

posted by carla at 11:30 AM

12 March 2003

Mathenesserplein from 15.45 to 16.30
Teammate Jetske

It was the first time the theatre when on the “tram”, and it was o.k. I’ve wanted to take the platform to different places, further from the center of Rotterdam, so today we went west. A lot of noise crossing the “war zone” in the karel Dormanhof, now on construction, to the tram stops, from the Kruisplein to the Mathenesserplein. This last renovated not so long ago, it’s a quite multicultural and lively area. We placed it first on the sidewalk, close to some benches, on a crossing area; the box wasn’t even open and already attracted a lot of attention because the faces of the starring characters are pasted on the outside. Saddam and Bush are definitely the faces of the moment. But It was incredibly windy at that spot, almost blowing us and the structure away, still we endure, answer a few questions, got a huge support from some Muslim women, and then decided to move across the street. We tried to get cover next to the building there, but still, a gigantic fight against the wind. A woman suggested that we should go to the Albert Hein side, just in the corner of the building. We followed her.
As we got there the wind was even stronger, I though, not such a good idea, but actually her idea was, and she grabbed us and took us inside, to what we can call a private square of a shopping place, that is also public, to go inside. Ok, good idea, at least for a rest. Immediately we had to deal with some discussion, and compromise making with the security guard, that actually was quite easy, he just asked if we were going to be there for a long time, no? O.K.! And then the following was pretty good.

This location is really full of diversity, cultural and from classes. The surprise was with women, those were the ones asking more questions and coming to congratulate us for the effort we put on the attempt to discuss the war politics, and that they were all to blame, and wishes of starting all over. Muslin women, that don’t want to have anything to do with this war.

Then at the mosque just across the road, the prays stopped, and a flow of men start coming out, some enter the building.

We could realized that in this area people are more politicized, more aware of political issues, and willing to discuss them, so then again as in the day of the European demonstrations (15th February) the structure became highly political. A lot of head nodding, smiles, getting others to look, parents explaining their kids who are this people, and whishing us success. No one, except a boy, actually played, but I felt that a lot of people got something to think out of it.

At the same time some girls came in to do a survey on multicultural Rotterdam, do I feel an alien? Do I like the cultural diversity? Are the cultures in Rotterdam mingling? Yes, yes, not so much, maybe!

A woman that talked a bit more with me put the all event in an excellent way, this is a great way of asking people what do they think about this situation, and to think about that.

All the best,
Carla

posted by carla at 11:29 AM

27 February 2003


Eendrachsplein, in the end of the oudebinnenweg – from 14PM to 15.30PM
Team – Suzanne

It is still sunny, it been like this for more that a week now. It’s Sunny everyday, something that completely changes a city and the mood of its dwellers. So I though, let’s go out again, even though I couldn’t find so much of a reason lately. I need more puppets! Every time I go out someone asks for Bin laden, he’s hidden, I usually reply. I went out then with the intention of survey which other public figure they would like to manipulate. I want also to try different locations, so I decided to try today the Eendrachsplein, which I would never call a plein, it has no characteristics at all of a square, it is just another passing area. Nonetheless we put the structure up, had some conversations, as always when something is about to happen, and immediately we realize that there wasn’t any place where we could just sit and watch, Ok let’s just hang around, but it’s also not so nice, there’s no place were we could really stand and not fell in the way. We went up and down, went for shoe shopping, came back, and tried every spot, but we really fell a bit lost in space, doing nothing, waiting for nothing.
This is actually what I want to point out of today. Beside the usual: not so many people stopping, even few actually engaging, I meet some friends, etc. But what stood out was how it showed us the dryness of that square by putting it on the middle of the place. Suddenly this green structure acted as a meeting point, something to stand next to without the felling of being lost in the middle of nowhere. During almost half an hour a group of 3 boys, stood next to it, talked, met friends, did some transactions, phone calls, went out to grab a bit and return, watch, all this for a while not even noticing what the green thing was actually about, having a look after, agreeing, and then just used it as a place to rest an arm, or use the belt to keep the hands busy. Suzanne and me at this moment were uncomfortably sitting on the much to narrow step of a door.

They left, we left.

posted by carla at 11:26 AM

Act –2 Do you want to manipulate for a change?
REPORT - 15 February 2003

Binnenwegplein (crossing route for Rotterdam shoppers – my favorite crowd)

Deal all:
This Saturday was the rendezvous for all the people opposing the war, all over Europe, also in Amsterdam, I had a late nigh, and a guest, so I couldn’t drag myself there to join my voice to the chanting, but I tough it could even be better to remind again my usual audience, that this world manipulation is still going on and we should think and do something about it. Are there a dark side and a good side of this war game? Think again!

What I realize on that afternoon is that, probably, the media is bombarding so much the information system with this issue, that pretty much everyone was aware of the question, and of the protesting. I had a response as never on the identification aspect, I mean, almost nobody unnoticed the piece, and everyone that noticed had a reaction: a longer gaze, a smile, a small stop, a laugh; pointing, sharing their ideas with friends, calling attention of others, touching, and actual playing.

It was the issue of the day, there’s going to be a war, and people are demonstrating their opposition. We stayed in Rotterdam, but for a few hours these powerful lords of the war were mere puppets to be stuffed with our vivid hands, and directed. Here comes normally one of the obstacles even for those who are willing to interact – and now what do I say? What shall I do? (Normally this happens when I am there to mediate, and they fell I should direct a bit, or maybe they think I want them to say something special, like going to the photographer to make pass photos – a bit more left, chin up, a smile, there you are! - I would fell the same, so most of the times I am more of a spy eye, some were, and those who want to always find something funny to perform)

Loners stop and look, take a closer look and some even touch the puppets to see the faces clearer I guess, or it a longing to actual play, but they’re (normally) alone and fell insecure, or without audience. More and more, people actual play. Friends or family, in a good mood, usually accompanies them, and they are mostly second-generation rotterdamers, or foreign.

I had a few talks, about the power structures and whose making decisions, about felling powerless, and someone that thank me for being there doing it.

It was cold, freezing in fact. I started at 15.30 and finished at 17.30, at this point Binnenwegplein starts to become a kind of non-place, shop close and there’s not much more to do around.

Pack up, back to base (a performance in itself also, because it is quite funny to carry this box, and it makes a lot of noise rolling through brick pavement)

All the best, Carla.

posted by carla at 11:22 AM