Wonderlands
School for Pickpockets
Within a department store lies a pick-pocket training school, every item that is pick-pocketed from the general public or the store itself is then taken to the archive where the items are labelled and stored. Writers are then invited to write stories about these items that are then used as props within the performances in the store by ex-convicts every six months.
Exploring space within the site combining stories |
The old Cooperative department store has a labyrinthine and deceptive feel. Short stories were written within the site and unintentionally linked through crime; from the theft of a shirt, to breaking and entering, to a lost budgie.
Exploring hidden space and journeys throughout site |
The proposition is a series of pieces that help trainee pick-pockets, including spaces dotted all over the store allowing the pick-pockets to suddenly disappear or watch the unsuspecting public.
The archive itself is a space created by bespoke panels that are bent to form different shapes in which the items are stored. During the time that performances are not on the panels are shut and only fragments of what is happening behind can be seen. When a performance is on the archive opens out so that the performers can easily enter and exit the stage, also allowing on-lookers to view inside and see all the different items that have been collected over the months, giving a preview as to what items will be used in the next performance.
View of archive acting as a parasite on the outside of the department store |
Section through archive within department store |
Section through archive and stage |
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