Ensconced consists of a simple structure built out of aerated concrete by its single occupant. The architecture takes the shape of a small chamber, a small fortress, an abandoned ruin now repurposed. The work presents a piece of survival architecture, asking what entrenching yourself does to you mentally and socially. Who needs to do that, and why? How does this ensconced person view the outside world? Does society need us to be able to entrench ourselves? Or is barricading oneself in simply a romantic gesture? Is it an escape from a looming future, a protective shield against what is come and a clinging to what is lost, or is this ‘first-person’ a visionary person who sees the world in a new, liberating way? Is the person a pioneer in a new world order, or is the person left alone after disaster has struck? The work is inspired by the fact that disasters take up more and more space in our everyday lives, exercising great influence on how we organise ourselves individually and as a society.

Photos from SMK performance: Frida Gregersen