This is the story of a woman who does everything by the booklet.
The booklet in question could be a user manual, warranty papers, terms and conditions, or any other relevant instructional or cautionary notice.
For her own safety and that of those around her, the woman acts only on such explicit printed instructions.
There follow excerpts from the forthcoming volume of her electrifying adventures...Security and safety are key contemporary concerns, inflamed by extravagant assessments of risk and an environment that is increasingly regulated and litigious. Individuals pursue risk-averse behaviour and surround themselves with products that limit exposure to novel experiences and cater to a culture of fear. A NEW AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE addresses such perceptions and behaviours while poking fun at the technobabble and nannying tone of user manuals.
The work has a number of manifestations, including a sound and text installation, a book, and a film. As part of the sound installation, the SPACE Age Sirens, a choir of senior women from London’s East End led by Laka D, set extracts from washing machine user manuals to popular melodies including ‘(How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window’ and ‘Rum and Coca Cola’.
A NEW AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE was commissioned for THE NOT QUITE YET: On the Margins of Technology, a collaboration between Queen Mary University London and SPACE Media. Gallery show at SPACE Studios, Hackney: 25 January – 1 March, 2008.
