Mariane Bourcheix-Laporte

Interstitial spaces are residual spaces in the architecture or physical design of a site. Being somewhat of negative or “non” spaces, interstices are non-defined micro-sites sites within a larger constructed site. They constitute pockets of potential in the urban fabric, which allow for the forging of new relationships between the body and its environment.

This video documents embodied physical explorations of interstitial spaces located throughout public sites in the city of Vancouver. I attempt to fit my body into such spaces and remain still for as long as I can, that is until I am disrupted by inquisitive passers-by or by my lack of physical tolerance. The video captures the micro-movements of my body as it attempts to remain in a position of stillness. There is a certain tension that ensues between the body’s struggle to remain still and the movement-saturated surrounding environment. As I remain inconspicuously relatively still in public spaces, the arrangement of my body temporarily disrupts their discursive construction and the manner in which they are encountered by passers-by. My “non-actions” in “non-spaces” challenge both the scripted nature of behaviour in the public sphere and the transient character of the urban condition.