| 1995-99 | POETRY EMISSION PROGRAM | AVI_TWENTE, HENGELO

Gate at the waste incinerator in Hengelo. Back view. Summer.

Some of the generated sentences originate from an old phrase book for travellers: What Should I Say And How Do I Say It In ... English (ca. 1934).

One of these phrases is permanently displayed on a huge traffic sign at the back of the gate. The sign is slightly tilted, facing the sky and reads: I want a face massage*).

*) In July 1998 this sign was removed. A neighbouring farmer opposed to it complaining it was "ugly and meaningless", and claiming he couldn't explain it to his guests. The sign now reads Poetry Emission, almost like a caption to the incinerator. The original sign was recently exhibited in Amsterdam at the exhibition Re: ZERO = 0, linking it to similar projects that were proposed by the Zero art movement in the early sixties.

It is worth mentioning here that in his original masterplan Van Der Kaap also proposed to execute a firefountain by Yves Klein in the fire pond (See: Page 4). This proposal was accepted by the board of directors, but the Gasunie (the gas company) didnot want to supply the gas. It was said to be "a waste of energy".[next >>]