Huts

Nacka konsthall 2008
How do children build huts? I see children build and try with the body the different spaces that are formed. They are looking for suitable materials to fit an idea that is in mind. Or, the plan will arrive as soon as the material is found. Children build new worlds populated by different characters, people and roles played in different times. It's hard to observe when someone is playing. If you do not participate in the game you are disturbing. The game does not want to be observed. As an adult, you remember playing as a child. But when you are grownup, you look with adults' eyes and consciousness. The game is filtered through a variety of experiences. The child's mind and thoughts is impossible to reconstruct. When you encounter a hut out somewhere, it's like traces with more or less building. Often, things are found that may be meaningful to the game. Stylish laces a bottle of a jar. A fireplace, a bench, big sticks, something selected and special. Huts are temporary and often delicate creations. They rarely take into account strength and safety. They are made up of materials that you find and see possible uses for. The material at hand, the inner look and the aesthetic preferences control the shape and function of the hut. I made filmed interviuws with children where they explain their building huts thoughts. The films were shown in the exhibition space. Photo Olof Thiel