By Jack Brandsma /asdf 20-04-2008

Jack Brandsma is one of the initiators of SpareSpace. The SpareSpace Foundation (Stichting RestRuimte) from Groningen is presenting the project 'SpareSpace & Friends' on a construction site in the Lambrate area, Via Ventura 6 in Milan.

The SpareSpace Foundation (Stichting RestRuimte) from Groningen is presenting the project 'SpareSpace & Friends' on a construction site in the Lambrate area, Via Ventura 6. When we arrived last week in the pouring rain the site was a soaking mess. SpareSpace was invited to show in Milan by Mariano Pichler, architect, art collector and property developer. He owns a large part of the industrial buildings in Lambrate, including the old Lambretta scooter factory. It's in this factory that we set up our indoor campsite. For the next two weeks people will be sleeping in tents and cars and I've brought my 'mobile household' (graduation piece from 1997) to live in. There's already been some interest in our presentation, Domus interviewed us yesterday. Our set-up here is also causing attention, Domus filmed us with a camera crew; people find it very funny to see how the Dutch have taken over the Lambretta factory.

This week we held a good event, we travelled with our mobile workspace to the Piazza del Duomo for a photoshoot. There we were arrested by the police and received a fine of €200. The photos weren't seized however, so it was worth the trouble!

The opening was crazy. It was held with our neighbour Richard Hutten and our host Mariano Pichler, who is showing his PLUSdesign collection. The more than 1000 visitors meant that our 40 crates of beer (sponsered by Heineken) were soon gone. Elmo Vermijs presented his 'Peopleskitchen' at the same place, invited by SpareSpace. His pumpkin soup and bread was a huge hit with Italian guests; they couldn't get enough of it. An opening like this is nice, but not really about our work. We noticed that we haven't drawn crowds of people, but the people who have been coming have been very interested and that's been important to us after these hectic weeks of preparation. We're pretty tired and we now know what it takes to be at an event like this. What comes of it we shall see in the coming days, weeks, months and years.

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