The Last Performance

I

watch

them

build. The

architects

and

their

crews

are

using

an

existing

foundation.

One

man

walks

down

the

stairs

into

the

past:

11

steps

to

the

landing,

turn

90

degrees

then

8

more

steps

to

the

basement

floor.

Demolition

debris

in

the

form

of

broken

bricks

and

chunks

of

former

walls

lie

about

in

piles,

waiting

for

re-use

or

relocation. The

old

wall

that

runs

parallel

with

the

stairs

abuts

a

house

of

seemingly

regular

form

and

purpose

–

except

for

the

doorway

that

lingers

halfway

up

the

façade.

This

doorway

is

not

explained,

but

no

once

seems

concerned.

The

men

are

building

elsewhere,

adding

mortar

to

bricks

as

the

base

of

a

minaret.

The

floating

door

does

not

bother

the

men.

Likewise,

they

leave

the

dome

alone

even

though

it

is

only

half-formed,

outlined

in

part

by

strips

of

curved

wood

and

the

rest

negative

space.

Everything

in

its

time,

everything

considered

together:

floating

doors,

half

domes,

and

the

convergence

of

past

and

present. The

expanding

shape

sits

in

a

neighborhood

of

homes,

some

with

satellite

dishes

and

some

with

dogs.

A

man

walks

through

the

scene

along

an

adjacent

sidewalk

and

says

hello.

Building

is

welcome

here. “We

are

flatland

people,”

a

construction

worker

tells

me.

“This

is

why

we

build.” “And

the

door?”

I

gesture

in

the

direction

of

the

adjacent

building,

but

the

man

does

not

need

clarification. “Yes,”

he

says.

“It’s

a

good

door.

We

will

keep

it

just

as

it

is.”

=> Construct a last

Exhibition: The Last Performance [dot org] @ Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt