Author Archives: Frans van Lent

A Scene #22: Call

On Saturday 23 May 2020 at 2:20 PM (CEST), I stood in the middle of the food market at Statenplein, Dordrecht, the Netherlands (5148.8870 N, 00440.1692 E).
I looked around until I recognised someone, and while I was looking at this person I grabbed my phone and called him to ask how things are. After a while, I made clear that I was within visual distance, stopped the conversation and raised my arm to say goodbye. I left the market.

About Scenes:
On this website and on Facebook I announce small events that will take place at a certain location and at a certain moment in the near future.
Everybody is invited to be at the exact spot at the exact time to contribute to the scene with his/her own simultaneous activity (or inactivity).

A Scene #21: Up and Down

On Saturday, April 11 2020, from 2:00 till 2:30 PM (CEST) I was pacing up and down between the iron gate and the front door of the studio building Singel 222, Dordrecht (51.8085854, 4.6706976).
Please, keep your distance!

A Scene #20: Ocean

On Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 2:20 PM (CET) I was standing in the aisle of a flying Boeing 767-300 between the Netherlands and Iceland. With my eyes closed, my arms beside my body, I was for 15 minutes contemplating the enormity of the ocean below.

In memory of Antoinette Reuten.

A Scene #19: Doubts

On Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 2:20 PM (CEST) I was in the middle of a field at Ons Park, Feijenoordstraat, 3071 LN Rotterdam, (51 ° 54’53.5 “N 4 ° 29’50.4” E).
I considered the direction where I came from and I considered and reconsidered where to go from there.
When I made a decision, I left in the chosen direction.

A day gone

Last night I went out in the dark.
I picked up a stone,
wrapped it in black paper,
and put it down on the ground. Continue reading →

3 Nocturnal walks

Three recordings of public silent walks:

On July 22, 2020, from 4:30 till 5:30 AM, I made a silent walk in the city of Dordrecht.
I named the audio recording after Adri, with whom I made my very first silent night walk 50 years ago.
The audio recording is an unedited realtime track. Continue reading →

West wind

I am standing on a windy beach in Hook of Holland, Netherlands.
By text message I contact a friend who is walking in Bond street, Brooklyn, NYC.
I ask him to turn up the volume of his phone as loud as possible. I then call him.
We don’t speak a word but we let the buffeting wind noise of my phone
sound through that street on the other side of the ocean.

Thanks to Ed Woodham.

About A Scene #23: Acceleration
(Published on Facebook a day after the performance)

The structure was very simple and sculptural: an acceleration in one continuous line, from running, to cycling, to driving.

As in almost every Scene, passers-by will be without prior knowledge, nothing of a predetermined design will be recognizable. People just walk and cycle and drive cars and no one ever wonders why and whereto.
But there may be some people among the passers-by who did read something about the plan, who are aware of the order of events, and who decided to participate in the scene through their own parallel plan. I have no knowledge of this and will not recognize their actions, among all other movements.

Even though the performance consists of a very minimal structure, numerous actions did take place to make this acceleration possible in all its simplicity. The actual process is formed by a series of necessary activities and events, that are not part of the actual public performance.

This is what happened:
I planned the date, made publicity around it, announced it on my website and on social media. On June 27, 2020, I left home at 12:30 PM, put my bike in the car. To make space, I first took some things out of the car and temporarily stored them at home. I stepped in the car and drove to the Blaak in Rotterdam. I parked the car (13:10), took the bicycle out of the boot, cycled to the Beursplein and there I attached the bicycle to a pole with a chain.
I then walked back to the car, got in and drove to the Wilhelminaplein. There I looked for a parking lot, I parked the car, left it and entered the metro station. I had forgotten to take my public transport card with me, so I had to enter the station illegally, I had to ask someone to go together with me through the turnstile.
In the metro I pulled my shirt up over my mouth and nose, as I had also forgotten a protective mask.
At the Stadhuis station I got off the train and again went together with someone (unasked now) through the turnstile, to leave the station. Up the stairs on the street, I walked from the station to Hofplein and turned around until I was facing Coolsingel.
I waited 10 minutes until it was exactly 2:00 PM,
the performance started.

A Scene #24: Leave the place

This is an invitation to join a scene! Be at the exact spot at the exact time and contribute to the scene with your own simultaneous activity (or inactivity).

On Saturday July 4 2020 at 2 p.m. (CEST) I will be standing in front of the bronze doors of Blaak 10, Rotterdam (5155.1223,N, 00429.3217,E).
At exactly 2.20 pm I walk towards the train station (Blaak), descend the stairs, go to platform 3 and take the first train in southern direction.

A Scene #23: Acceleration

Acceleration is the rate of change of the velocity of an object with respect to time.

On Saturday June 27, 2020 at 2:00 PM (CEST), I will be at Hofplein, Rotterdam (5155.4866 N, 00428.6858 E), facing Coolsingel.
I walk in the direction of Beurs metro station, where I earlier parked my bicycle.
I take my bike and cycle on in the same direction, Schiedamse Dijk. I pass Erasmus bridge, Wilhelmina square and stop at Kop van Zuid, where I earlier parked my car.
I put my bicycle in the boot, get in the car and continue my way in the same direction.

Continue reading →