Sundaybath 2 @ Herma Auguste Wittstock. 2003. Milan

- WITTSTOCK Herma Auguste, Sundaybath 2, 2003, Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Milano, Italie.

3 hours 30 minutes/live performance

In the centre of the room stands a zinc bathtub. The tub is too small for me to sit in it. It is filled with long iron nails.

I am naked and wash myself with the nails. After some time my skin turns black from the iron dust of the nails and red from the scratching.

Sundaybath was born out of my feelins towards church. I performed this work on a Sunday for the first time. Sundays you have to wash yourself, before going to church, to have a new clean soul.

But the death of Jesus, his blood, the nails in his hands are not clean. I must think about that. I want to wash myself to be really clean. But the bath is too small. So I cannot be completely clean. 

Sundaybath 2  is a variation of Sundaybath, but without the water. Photo/video: Alessia Bulgari.