One Hour Occupy Parking Art

2015

Archive, installation

22cm x 31cm

80 prints, art print

​

Yao Qingmei's work, 'One Hour Occupy Parking Art,' involved a series of daily one-hour interventions in a parking space in front of the Paradise art center in Nantes, France.

 

Occupying the parking space for an hour each day, she aimed not only to redefine its use as a public space but also provocatively sought to present the site as an extension of the art space itself. The space measured 5.81m in length, 1.83m in width, covering an area of about 10.7 m². The parking fee was 1.4 EUR per hour, with Sundays being free.

​

Her performance and actions oscillated between the functional, the ceremonious, and the absurd. These activities included, but were not limited to, ribbon-cutting marking the opening ceremony of 'One Hour Occupy Parking Art,' installing a landline telephone, hiring security and sanitation staff, having meals, and various encounters with the public. These actions were meticulously documented through videos, photographs, parking bills (including date and time), and a video recording of the occupation.

​

Throughout the project's duration, documents related to the parking space were regularly updated in the interior exhibition space. All items applied and created during the performance became components of a car-shaped sculpture. Yao Qingmei delivered a closing ceremony speech while standing on the sculpture.

​

This project is now presented in the form of 80 printed archive documents.

​

​

​