Situated next to a large roundabout that leads to Rotterdam Central train station, the chalk
work is based on an ongoing collection of photos of ghost islands – painted traffic islands,
linked with ink traps, the typographic term for notches and gaps that are built into the corners
of letter forms to avoid the bleeding of ink when reproduced at smaller scale. While ghost
islands make up part of the public infrastructure and built environment that aim to make
movement and circulation through the city smooth and efficient, ink traps allow for the smooth
reproduction and readability of language. Working at different scales and temporalities, the
movement of the chalk marker, pushed over the floor surface to distribute the chalk forms,
almost like a printer might, connects reading, writing and movement. Layered temporarily on
a concrete floor, the work also refers to the different architectural time scales embedded in
the transitory space.

–––––

Part of Floor and Walls, a two-person exhibition with Dineke van Huizen
Supported by CBK Rotterdam (Centre for Visual Arts Rotterdam)
Photography by Nick Thomas