Day 4
27.11.08
Central Railway Station
South door, inside

I felt more exposed somehow opening the door for others inside the station.

On a recommendation I tried to obtain security camera footage for documention,
first asking downstairs at the service desk,
where a man then lead me upstairs and buzzed me into the security office to talk with the gentleman behind the tinted plexiglass screen,
through a small opening above the metal counter:

I introduced myself and told him what I was looking for.
He said that they do not give out such footage.
I explained more about the nature of my project and offered him my teacher's contact.
He repeated himself.
No dice...

...although I can see their side,
where paranoia is now part of the profession,
and rules are rules.
Harmless intentions can be flipped,
from suspiciuos to malicious.

Feeling rejected, I sat down to write a journal entry.

Why the railway station?
there are big heavy doors there,
and plenty of foot traffic,
converging arteries of mass transit and urban existence.

Why holding the door?
What do you think when someone holds the door for you?
What is the significance of this action of holding a door for others?

the doors in the railway station are big and heavy.

(when I notice)
it comes as a welcomed gesture,
a surprise,
sign of caring.

Might one see it as an invitation into another place?

Looking more into shamanistic activities,
after suggestion of a possible parallel,
I was told that in Andean pre-hispanic shamanism,
the term for shaman is "doorkeeper", "punku kamayuk".
A shaman mediates between the worlds for his/her people:
as journeyer, messenger, translator, midwife.


Some people even mentioned the possibility of selective door holding,
which brought up further ideas,
for example Saint Peter,
holding the keys to open the door to heaven..
and in that way could lead this work towards a very different direction.

Speaking of which...

Getting myself up and going this morning,
it felt like going to work,
which also has potential to explore,
for example in playing that part to a full extent.

However instead I wish to change some other element,
for example inviting others to join...