The Open Corner: May #2

May artist: Kasia Nikhamina

Title: YOU LEFT THE BOOK-DROP SLOT AJAR

From Kasia:

Many thanks to everyone who shared their sidewalk sale stories! I was rummaging around the internet and learned that in the Netherlands, such sales are allowed only once a year. On April 30th, Queen’s Day, the streets turn into a massive vrijmarkt — “free/flea market.” In Utrecht, the vrijmarkt starts the night before and lasts twenty-four hours. Supposedly, the Queen once bought a lamp from some Dutch citizen. Let’s say it was an Arco lamp.

Sidewalk sales reveal so much about you, whether you are selling or buying or “just looking.” I got to thinking about my lifelong habit of hoarding images. Although I am a writer, I constantly dream of making beautiful visual traps…In his book, Steal Like An Artist (a wonderful inspiring little book), Austin Kleon counsels, “Step away from the screen. Use your hands.”

For my second Open Corner, I unearthed my fat file and ran with it.

Can you identify the source of the various elements? Got theories on what it means? Leave a comment below…I’ll let you know next week if you are right!

About Kasia

Kasia Nikhamina writes The Mayor’s Hotel, a creative prose blog that has been mistaken for a real hotel by at least one well-intentioned Italian.

Kasia’s first play, Redbeard & Domicella, appeared at the Brick Theater in 2010. She is working on a new play, Nixon out of office, and “Pícaro,” a coming-of-age story. Her work is often performed at Hearth Gods, a reading series in the East Village.

She was born in Kalisz, Poland, but has lived in New York since she was five. She and her husband, Ilya, moved to Ditmas Park about five years ago.

What is The Open Corner? Find out here.

Interested in participating? Email Avi here.