Traveling alone in Curve

Curve is a large installation on the Bernouilleplein, made by artist Cocky Eek, sound designer Martin Franke and theatre maker Boukje Schweigman. The project is a co-production of Schweigmann& and Het Houten Huis.

The whole is a long white tube that people walk through on their own. During the walk you hear different soundscapes. In Curve people can break away from everyday reality. "Your senses and sense of time are played with. This brings you into a different state of being", Eek explains.

Strolling and wandering

This Sunday evening it is busy at Curve. Groups of people waiting are constantly being picked up who have to gather at the lockers for a short explanation. "We would like to ask you to put all your belongings such as telephones, cameras and watches in the lockers", says an employee.

People are picked up one by one by a cheerful man. It is clear that he has already made the walk from the waiting people to the bench further on a few times. A path has been completely worn in the grass and his bald head is red from the sun. He starts a short conversation with each individual.

"You are going on a trip. It is just nice to stroll and stroll on this beautiful Sunday", he calls out laughing. His pace is very slow. At the bench he says: "You can take off your shoes here."

Shake before use

The installation is described as a theatre without actors, but the supervisors do play a role. Eek also confirms this: "The supervisors all came through a call. Boukje is a master in training performers. They remain themselves but play a very important role."

A woman walks up from the entrance of the Curve. "Hello," she whispers as she takes my hands and leads me to the entrance. There, about ten meters away, is a chair with bags that you can put around your feet.

With the bags around my feet, I stand up. The woman takes a deep breath and shakes her arms and shoulders. I imitate her. She nods and points to the entrance. It is very narrow. You really have to squeeze yourself through. Suddenly I am standing in the white tube, with incredibly static hair.

I hear all kinds of sounds around me. There is a rhythm to the sounds. I walk very calmly. I only see the white tube in front of me and the white tube behind me. I don't know if I have been walking for a minute or five. According to Eek, this is part of the experience: "You are led through the tunnel. It remains very abstract, you have to make something of it yourself."

Control issues

A few visitors do not want to give a response immediately. "I want to let it sink in first," says a woman in a pink T-shirt. Anna Emmink found the experience special: "Because I knew there was an end, I didn't get scared. I thought: 'I've seen it from the outside, how much longer can this last?' You get into such a step-by-step rhythm. When you come out, you're still in that vibe." Monika Seyer didn't like it. "I really have control issues, so I didn't like some parts."

Schweigman notices that visitors really come across themselves in the tunnel. "Some see it as a rite of passage," she says. People don't really know what to expect when they enter. "I was hesitant, I thought something had to happen," says visitor Femke Torensma. "In the end, I found it really chill."

When I squeeze through the last opening, my hair is almost standing straight up and I'm back in the sunlight, on the grass. I keep walking in the slow rhythm. My shoes are further away in the grass next to a chair. I put them on and take another deep breath. I walk quietly home, ambling and strolling on this beautiful Sunday evening.

Text: Patriecia Kolthof
Photo: Wout Nooitgedagt