Foundation Art and Public Space
artist: Robin van 't Haar
Entering a hospital is often accompanied by a sense of alienation and it takes a while for you to realize how familiar many of the routines and events that take place in hospitals are. These routines aren’t necessarily related to being ill. Instead, they become noticeable in the rituals that are associated with staying at a hospital, such as sharing the elevator with other people; being driven to hospital by your family; waiting for your turn to be examined; packing your pajamas; having meals brought by the nurse. In naming these routines, we can emphasize the communal aspect of staying in hospital and the art work for the Spaarne Ziekenhuis (hospital), titled Ziekenhuisgang (Hospital corridor), portrays how staff, patients, and visitors move around the hospital and interact with one another.
Unveiling of art work:
12 December 2008 – 4.00 pm in corridor 1E-1F
Spaarne Ziekenhuis, Hoofddorp
Address:
Spaarne Ziekenhuis
Spaarnepoort 1
2134 TM Hoofddorp
Telephone 023-890 89 00
Robin van 't Haar
‘Hospital corridor’ rituals in the Spaarne Hospital
Foto: Wil Woertman
Ziekenhuisgang
By using situational sketches, Ziekenhuisgang depicts the movements and behavior of staff, patients, and visitors. These ‘rituals’ have been represented in 28 separate scenes that will be shown on 10 monitors located in the corridor behind the main entrance. As a whole the scenes form a kaleidoscopic image that gives the viewer an impression of the (un)familiar aspects of daily life within the hospital.
Robin van ’t Haar
Robin van ’t Haar studies routines and tries to ‘ritualize’ them. By zooming in on everyday routines, he adds meaning to events that occur everywhere on a continual basis and that, for this reason, often remain unnoticed. They are rituals that we unconsciously experience and that give shape and meaning to our existence, particularly in places where people are likely to feel alienated. For example, during those moments when you can’t view the full picture, insignificant details can offer a sense of familiarity, of something to hold on to. Indeed van ’t Haar points to the value of these details.
On his website www.cityscripts.com Van ''t Haar reveals examples of the everyday routines he has observed and documented in (semi) public domains. These include routines performed by people who are waiting on a subway platform, visiting the supermarket, or posting a letter. Van ’t Haar records the movements and posturing of the people performing these routines with painstaking precision. His recordings are in the form of photos or videos and are shown at their original location.
Foto: Wil Woertman
