SAN KELLER
San Keller was born in Bern in 1971 and is based in Zurich. He is currently the Swiss artist-in-residence at PS1. In his current project, he offers to walk you home.

winter-help 03/04

The Long Way Home - San Keller accompanies you home

The label "winter-help" was founded in 1996 by the Swiss artist San Keller. San Keller is currently participating in the International Studio Program of P.S.1. <The Long Way Home - San Keller accompanies you home> is the already the seventh action he is staging under this label. The actions are inspired by the potential of a wintry climate to influence our social behavior. They encourage the city dwellers to throw overboard their normal code of conduct and to share an unusual experience with people they do not know. The action is repeated once every month, from November to April. German curator Dorothea Strass describes San Keller's actions thus: "His works are complex, cheerful and melancholy at the same time. They pick up the concerns of the social sculpture and, in the most marvellous way, carry it into the 21th century." Last but not least, San Keller performs his actions to get himself through winter!"

bio

Concept of the action

For Keller's action <The Long Way Home - San Keller accompanies you home> participants and artist will meet up at 10pm in the main hall of Grand Central Station on each last Friday of the month. So as to be recognisable to the participants San Keller will be carrying a sign with the action's title round his neck. Before embarking on the long way home the participants will have to decide on the way they want to be taken home. Who will be home first? Who will be the last to return home? What places will the journey lead through? During the whole winter, “winter-help” will be advertising the action with flyers and posters. Anyone living in New York is invited to participate. Each action will thus create a coincidental community that, starting at Grand Central Station, will make their long journey home together. The journey will lead to each participant's home. Snugly returned, the homecomers will have to provide the remaining participants with a simple meal so as to ensure their safe way home.

Dates of the action:
Friday, 28 November 2003, 10 pm main hall, Grand Central Station New York.
Friday, 26 December 2003, 10pm, main hall, Grand Central Station, New York.
Friday, 30 January 2003, 10pm, main hall, Grand Central Station, New York.
Friday, 27 February 2003, 10pm, main hall, Grand Central Station, New York.
Friday, 26 March 2003, 10pm, main hall, Grand Central Station, New York.
Friday, 30 April 2003, 10pm, main hall, Grand Central Station, New York.