Silence Is my punishment/

For hours I sit silently in the corner, on an uncomfortable stool at a narrow little table. On my head I wear a tall paper dunce cap, as a symbol of punishment. Over and over I write the sentence “Silence is my punishment” on a narrow roll of paper, which slowly piles up beside the table. The punishment takes place not only on paper but also in my body: through the prolonged sitting, the tense posture and the imposed silence. For someone who lives by words and communication, silence is not rest but a constraint. With this work I explore what it means to be brought to a standstill physically and verbally. The work is a reflection on obedience, self-control and the pain of not being allowed to speak.