SPACE APPROPRIATOR #6 / SECURITY OVERTURNED 2012
Space Appropriator #6 / Security Overturned 2012 (finissage Sofia Contemporary)Urban intervention (repurposing of urban furniture), group performance
(In front of) The Residence of the British Ambassador, Sofia, Bulgaria
2012
Space Appropriator #6 / Security Overturned sounds familiar as it was the Urban Olympics 2011 finissage. For Sofia Contemporary it was realized in a larger scale. 15-20 of the security bollards in front of the residence of the British Ambassador in Sofia were converted into cocktail tables by group of performers (15-20) and wine was served for participants, invited audience as well as the passers-by. The event served as a finissage for the festival.
Space Appropriator was also the title for the performers and participants. Each was tagged with silicon bracelet engraved with the text Space Appropriator. The verb ”appropriate” is used here in its meaning to seize for oneself or as one's right. The event might be seen as Occupy event but it misses the forceful notion of the verb “occupy”. It also shifts the notion of safety by turning security bollards into pieces of urban furniture introducing shared feeling of comfort and well-being in presumably dangerous public space.
Space Appropriator #6 with the title Security Overturned served as a closing event for the project Urban Olympics 2011. The artist converted one of the large security bollards in front of the residence of the British Ambassador in Sofia into cocktail table and had a baby bottle of sparkling wine. All this was filmed. Of course this conflicted the security regulations of the place and was terminated sooner than the desired by the respective authorities. Thus Security Overturned highlighted the conflict between many private interests in the otherwise common public space.