Yvonne Dröge Wendel
Yvonne Dröge Wendel, the Black Ball project, 2003, shown at Friar House, Newcastle upon Tyne
Yvonne Dröge Wendel has devised an enormous air-filled latex ball, three and a half metres in diameter and seamlessly covered in black felt, with which she has created events in different European cities. The ball is transported to a variety of specific locations – within buildings, in the streets, in the countryside – where individuals and local community groups become actively involved in the performance. She creates a mesmerizing and dynamic ball game allowing people to interact spontaneously with it as it rolls along on its journey.
Dröge Wendel’s object is in itself devoid of meaning and function. It is an entity that is of neutral significance, acting as an interface between people and their environment, while at the same time its size makes the rules and regulations of public order very obvious. The ball initiates situations and stories while moving through the city. The action is open to the participation of the people who come into contact with it. The plot develops accordingly, on the spur of the moment, depending upon the empathy and attitude of the co-storytellers. The potential of the black ball lies in the performative relationship between it and the public. The traces left behind from this performance are drawings, photographs and written stories.
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