Eine Aneignung der Texte von Heather Hussey 1972- 1975

From 1972 to 1975 the artist’s mother wrote various perceptive and sensual texts, that have to do with her youthful experimentation with drugs and sexual experiences. The lively, loosely organized texts describe the landscape of North America and include observations, thoughts and references to literature and music. The 47 pages that were typed on a handwriter create a mixture of diary and poetry. The artist’s mother sent the texts to the artist in Germany in 2011 in the mail for unknown reasons.

The artist created a successful MA diploma thesis for the Institute for Art in Context at the University of the Arts Berlin in 2012 by appropriating these texts. The process of appropriation entailed three steps. The first step was the selection of the text. The second step was the translation of the texts. German native speakers were commissioned to make a translation. The translators had full control over the text and the layout. The next step was the delivery of a printed limited edition of the translation to the Institute together with a framing text, written by the artist. In the framing text, the artistic process of appropriation was described.