Subversive Folly re-claims Canary Wharf through a temporary occupation disguised as a series of public realm follies. Addressing rights which are denied in the area, it focuses on the right to protest, even the right to gather above a certain number without arousing suspicion, by providing a series of bespoke ‘scenographic’ settings. The idea of protesting in the traditional sense is transformed into a hybrid performance, which uses the historical legacy of a ‘re-enactment’ to speak about contemporary struggles. In some cases the narrative refers to the intrusive form of control within Canary Wharf’s boundaries; in others to contemporary struggles of insecure employment or housing. The project draws on the local history of the London Dockers’ Strike of 1889, in which hundreds of thousands of Dockers protested for their work rights, marching in front of their workspaces. It proposes a curated live performance or ‘re-enact-ment’ of this strike, in Canary Wharf, where part of the strike took place, to reclaim the right to protest.
SPEAK LOUD!
subversive folly n°1
“He had a voice like a megaphone!”, said Tillet about John
Burns. e folly faces Canary Wharf. e sound travels though
air, no matter where the boundaries are. What are you protesting
against? Speak loud.
subversive folly n°1
“He had a voice like a megaphone!”, said Tillet about John
Burns. e folly faces Canary Wharf. e sound travels though
air, no matter where the boundaries are. What are you protesting
against? Speak loud.
THE COMPULSORY 8H TOWER
subversive folly n°2
Eight hours of work is the equivalent of 360 times of going up
and down. e pendulum is the Lady Armstrong cargo’s anchor,
the London Dockers Strike bone of contention.
subversive folly n°2
Eight hours of work is the equivalent of 360 times of going up
and down. e pendulum is the Lady Armstrong cargo’s anchor,
the London Dockers Strike bone of contention.
THE DETECTOR MILL
subversive folly n°3
The Windmill Detector identifies the numbers of casual workers
employed in Canary Wharf. At the moment, only the available
0hourcontract jobs available in the area are more than 2000.
THE 12 WEEKS CAGE
subversive folly n°4
The folly is a reinterpretation of the cage from where the dockers
were chosen every morning. A worker employed by agencies can
not exercise his rights before 12 weeks of continuous work. Every
column a day, every door a week, suspended by uncertainty.
