Shelter spots come in all shapes and sizes. Of course, there’s the cottage in the woods, the cellar—but did you consider dungarees? How wonderful it feels to let the hands hang inside such trousers. Elbows resting on sturdy fabric, chest hidden behind the shield of cotton.
Dungarees hang around the body, creating a mobile livingroom. Between fabric and skin, a bit of air, space for that small amount of private atmosphere. Dungarees help signal to surroundings: I’m good with myself, no need for involvement, thank you.
If we analyse the situation, it becomes clear that dungarees offer the possibility of semi-sheltering. When wearing them, moving through public space easily combines with local comfort, a light sense of home. The semi-shelter comes in different shapes and sizes. To name but a few practical variants of the semi-shelter: sleeping at a desk in some corner, taking a moments of dawdling under the warm air current at a supermarket entrance, a little makeup on eye and cheek to form a subtle mask on the face.
Salomé Mooij creates Het Schuilatelier (The Shelteratelier) in conversation with her audience. During one-on-one talks, a maquette of a shelter that fits the person who sat down with Salomé comes into shape. With each conversation, the collection grows. The Shelteratelier is on view throughout this month and part of the next (until November 15) at the Gwangju Biennale in South Korea.