From 2013 I’ve collected photos of self-made (No)Parking
constructions. In my opinion they are creative, improvised
constructs made to keep a parking space free. People use material
that is around them at that moment and place it in a parking
space. Consider ladders, chairs, wooden beams and brooms, though
the list of materials is infinite. An installation is created in
which several objects form a whole, to make it clear to bystanders
that the parking spot will shortly be used. The existence of these
constructions is an unwritten rule: it is not the intention to
appropriate the parking space, but this is generally accepted.
To create a platform for these photos, I started an Instagram
account called
Parkingconstructions. Once a day I post a picture of a recently discovered parking
structure. From the moment I set up the account I received many
pictures from people who have happened upon a parking structure. I
post these received photos with the name of the person who found
the construction and indicate the place and time. I mention the
time because parking constructions are temporary, and easily
dismantled at any time.
The sculptural sensation in the parking constructions is a
fundamental aspect for me. People who make these constructions are
not always aware that it is an intuitive expression of creativity.
Within a few seconds a composition is made using a wide variety of
materials. In my opinion, this also has a childlike aspect:
playing with stuff.
These parking constructions
can be found everywhere, you could say that it is almost a
universal language. For example, I have found and received parking
constructions that have been spotted abroad: Germany, America,
Morocco, Scotland, Spain and Hungary, all countries where there is
a clear infrastructure with regard to parking spaces.
As a visual artist I made a work in which I immortalized six of
these parking constructions in concrete. I then installed these
concrete sculptures around the Royal Academy of Art. I showed this
installation to my teachers and fellow students through a bike
tour.
'Parking constructions' is an 'ongoing'
project, at this moment (April, 2018) there are more than 300
photos on the Instagram account. To date I receive and find
parking structures myself. The idea is to publish a book in the
future of these found parking constructions.
