in Husrum, Madsnedøfortet 2001

A big, white helium ballon – 2 metres in diameter – in a rather small white space with rounded corners, almost a round ceiling. The space is in an old bunker from WWII in the south of Denmark.

The balloon was off-white, almost transparent. It was very soft and moveable, but also big enough to seem a bit threatening. When standing close to the balloon in the space, its surface and material would not work acoustically as the rest of the room. Instead, it was as if it took away sound, leaving the ear turned in the direction of the balloon ‘deaf’ (one would have this feeling when 20-30 cm or less away from its surface).

On the walls all the way around the little space, at eye-level, I put sentences up on small pieces of paper. The sentences were in one long line all the way around. As the writing was as small as it is in ordinary books, one had to stand close to be able to read it. When following the text, the viewer would move slowly along the walls in the space. But at the same time, one would have to bend and duck in order to avoid hitting the balloon – or one would touch it and push it a little bit so that it would move – maybe onto someone else on the other side.

The text on the wall was a row of fragments from a dialogue between two people. The fragments of the dialogue were kept in a very simple, ‘dry’ spoken language. The texts were originally written by Carol Churchill. In this piece, I had translated it very freely into Danish – almost to an extent where one could call it a personal Danish ‘cover version’ rather than a translation. On this website it wouldn't make sense to translate this cover version back into English, which is why I show the original text by Carol Churchill. In my version, there was no end to the ‘story’, it just continued around the space in a circle, interrupted by a door, a window and occasionally the bump of a balloon. It was impossible to tell where the beginning was.





The original text, ‘Hong Kong’, was part of the play, ‘This is a Chair’, by Carol Churchill. 

TOM and LEO

TOM: but how could you do that you lied to me yes no I don’t want to hear

LEO: very funny I don’t care I don’t care what you

TOM: just about enough

LEO: and I suppose you never?

TOM: why don’t we just why don't we just now wait a minute

LEO: can’t stand it can’t

TOM: get this sorted out. Why in particular?

LEO: no good coming now and saying

TOM: but listen why don’t we just

LEO: too late

TOM: impossible to talk to

LEO: should have thought of that

TOM: you are so

LEO: piss off.

TOM: Not the first time

LEO: can’t trust you with the simplest

TOM: no point in even

LEO: for instance then last week you

TOM: how could you do that

LEO: and what you said was you wouldn’t dream

TOM: and it doesn’t even stand up I’d have to be stupid

LEO: stupid stupid stupid

TOM: break your neck

LEO: and you smell bad

TOM: if you could see yourself

LEO: piggy eyes piggy eyes piggy eyes

TOM: don’t you just even start don’t you just I’m warning you now don’t

LEO: never did anyway

TOM: what the fuck

LEO: on Wednesday and half past eleven when we’d specifically

TOM: two hundred pounds I don’t understand how you can

LEO: because that’s where you were don’t bother denying it

TOM: and then you blame me

LEO: because I saw her in Safeways and she

TOM: don’t let me see him again that’s all or I’ll

LEO: in our own bed

TOM: no.

LEO: I’m going to

TOM: fine by me

LEO: because I never

TOM: don’t fancy you any more have to imagine

LEO: every time you come into my house my heart

TOM: haven’t ever liked you

LEO: disgust me

Their friend Charlie arrives 

TOM: well well well

LEO: long time

CHARLIE: ah lovely

TOM: how you

CHARLIE: traffic

TOM: pretty busy

CHARLIE: seen old Joey lately because I’ve

LEO: house in the south of France

CHARLIE: running all over town trying to

TOM: rollmop herrings

CHARLIE: must have been terrible for you

LEO: and you’ve heard about Rose and

TOM: so we put in an offer of twenty thousand less that

CHARLIE: halfway to America by now

LEO: so how’s Wendy are you still

CHARLIE: terrible headaches

TOM: always remember the summer when

CHARLIE: the train to Brindisi

LEO: and the smell of the rain and the dust

CHARLIE: I do of course understand the point of view I wouldn’t want to

TOM: always a bit

LEO: emphasis on personal development

CHARLIE: her mother screeching positively screeching I couldn’t

TOM: a good acupuncturist

LEO: up half past five in the summer when the light

CHARLIE: my cousin in Australia

TOM: on the other hand

LEO: yes I wouldn’t want to

CHARLIE: helps to talk things over with

TOM: not getting any younger

CHARLIE: don’t know what to think

LEO: and is it this weekend we put the clocks back or is it back I never I have to work it out on my fingers the same with America if I

TOM: supper?

CHARLIE: my aunt’s cat got hit by a car and I said I’d

LEO: onion soup

CHARLIE: you are the loveliest

LEO: if you want to go to a movie, I haven’t seen

TOM: supposed to be terrifying

CHARLIE: though I didn’t think so much of his

LEO: the bit where they fell down the stairs and the

CHARLIE: so I’ll call you next week and maybe we can

LEO: that would be lovely

TOM: great to see you

LEO: give my love to

CHARLIE: sorry I’m a bit

LEO: next week

CHARLIE goes

LEO: putting on weight

TOM: having rather a difficult

LEO: work’s not what it was of course but he didn’t

TOM: why don’t we just get a curry in I really fancy

LEO: so tired I could

TOM: hot bath

LEO: hey

TOM: yes well

LEO: exhausted

TOM: quarrelling is so

LEO: Oh God

TOM: come here and let me

LEO: you don’t really

TOM: let me just

LEO: because I do still

TOM: you’re such a

LEO: not all my

TOM: don’t start

LEO: love it when you

(First performed at the Royal Court Theatre at the Duke of York’s, 25 June 1997. Printed 1999 by the Theatre Communications Group, New York.)