Verena Michels

Workshop

"We are dreaming of a palm tree" A workshop with 10 patients of a psychiatric prison and hospital. The project was connected with the occasion of the exhibition 'ZWEINULL" by ArToll, a project space on the clinic ground in Bedburg-Hau. It resulted in an installation called 'Schnibbelkönig". The activities were based on A) the textile production technique of Trümmerfrau collection and B) the idea of the clinic's traditional work therapy. It took place in the institution's own, well-equipped tailoring studio, where three tailors supervise patients who repair and create beddings, work wear and kitchen textiles for the clinic and locals. Materials used in this workshop are all leftover textiles collected by the tailors upon my request. The patients were requested to destroy the leftover textiles by cutting them into very small pieces, which led to their re-construction into three unique textile pieces created in a collective. Having the dimension of a towel, they are (1) made of socks only, (2) made of tailoring leftovers and (3) of clinic towels and pyjamas...