CELEBRATION ROOM #5

our CELEBRATION ROOM #5 was installed in a park in the middle of athens' exarchia district, home to students, artists, and radicals. the whole neighborhood went up in smoke during the december 2008 riots, prompting a massive national and international response to the police shooting of a 15-year-old kid. two years ago the community organized amongst themselves to convert a parking lot into a public park, ripping up the cement, planting trees, and taking turns standing watch so the police wouldn't interfere.

now the park is local hotspot, benches packed with chattering groups, community meetings and movies projected on a back wall. we decided to install the room in the playground, the colorful plastic strands already hanging and adding to our (somewhat meager) paper decorations. everyone enjoyed climbing in and out and around the structure, doing what we were there to do-- occupy and celebrate public space! we couldn't have asked for a better park space or history! thanks!!!

CELEBRATION ROOM #4

teresa and i scouted out some places for CELEBRATION ROOM #4 and decided upon a nice space right in front of karlsplatz, an iconic viennese square dominated by the karlskirche, smack dab in the middle of the city. despite the grey weather, we marked off a large area between some trees and light poles and began to decorate the space with paper chains and other colorful decorations. friends dropped by and helped decorate, including chris and frenchie friend, boris. people began to become curious as the space transformed, but very few actually inquired as to what we were doing......until we invited them in to the space to celebrate! we had two bags of confetti and offered each passerby a handful. most people were quite hesitant and probably 85% turned us down with a "nein, danke!" or a nervous giggle.






but the other 15% came into the space, threw confetti, hung out and danced around with us to michael jackson, the rolling stones, and a playlist that nico made for me that we used in CR #1. there was a great exchange and sharing of smiles and celebration with young and old people stopping in- we had an old actor on a bicycle, a young hippie couple, an older couple coming from the opera, a homeless man, an art historian/restorator and his dancer/artist date, and even more!!!! people cheered, kissed, embraced, and threw confetti in the space and generally enjoyed the atmosphere before going on with their lives. when people asked what we were celebrating, we said, "das leben!" or "LIFE!" or "whatever you want!!!"








as it got dark, we realized that the space we had chosen was actually the site of another installation- an artist had added hand-blown colored glass plates to the street lights, so the EXACT area we marked off was lit up by colorful lights!! and right as we were leaving around 11 when it began to rain, the lights magically turned off!!!!!! it was the perfect beginning and end to another successful CELEBRATION ROOM!

CELEBRATION ROOM #3

took over a berlin photoautomat, one of the many that grace the STREETS of berlin, for the 3rd installation of CELEBRATION ROOMS! no need to even step foot in a bar! i had prepared the paper chains all day and finished installing everything around midnight, just as a group of scottish kids came up to use to booth. they were thrilled to take advantage of the CELEBRATION and crammed in to take some shots. right afterwards, another big group of birthday celebrators came and happily jumped in with the garlands and ribbons for more photos. everyone loved it! we all celebrated for a brief moment together and went on our separate ways. i took a few photos of myself in the booth too, for posterity's sake. ian informed me that it was gone the next day, but i managed to grab a few photos in the morning before the party ended.

CELEBRATION ROOM #2

a bit off-the-cuff, but as we were sitting on the ufer in the evening berlin breeze, ian suggested i decorate the tree before us with my paper chains. seeing that it's a community effort, these CELEBRATION ROOMS, i took his advice and had carsti help me hang a few paper chains in a tree to the surprise and delight of everyone else! what a scene-- the two lovers below the branches, the sunset, the swans in the river! everyone always asks, "whose birthday is it?" or "what are you celebrating." it's no one's birthday, we're celebrating LIFE! we're celebrating because WE CAN! thanks for the help, boys. it's so relaxing to sit and make those links while they drink their beers. i love berlin!