white flat

A flat in all shades of white. An inhabitant who hardly ever talks. Where she comes from, nobody knows.



She starts cleaning, a thorough removal of all traces, strict and determined. Everything gets covered with a layer of paint – floor, table, books, pictures, walls – everything. Is this a way to get rid off memories? What you cannot see does not exist. She paints towards the state of purest white and innocence. A story about the attempt of forgetting.





White to the very last detail: She drinks milk, water, white wine. She eats pasta, rice, white bread, cream cheese, asparges. She wears a white skirt, white blouse, white socks and white shoes. (Only her lipstick is of a bright red.)





She doesn’t like people. Hardly ever she tries to socialize; usually she prefers to retire to the white silence of her flat.






Notes from her diary / reactions of guests

number 12 giggled
number 13 said cold piece of art
number 14 closed the door
then the door opened again by itself.
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number 24 asked questions.
number 25 left footsteps behind.
number 26 saw different colours of white.
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number 30 ate tictac
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the first guest of the evening became silent and said thank you
a young man sniffed at the lily
a tall blonde man marches by and says AHA
a man completely out of breath says he doesn’t have time and keeps on running
a girl in a hoodie says you look cool –
she doesn’t lift her feet when she walks.
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an old man carries along a spade.
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the returning guest eats unboiled rice and talks about growing old.


The White Flat is an inhabited installation by Frauke Materlik.