Things to love about playing hide and seek: mainly hiding aspects; patiently occupying that dark, damp lair; the fear of getting caught; the thrill of being searched for, as if somebody cares; the sweat produced, trying to find the perfect spot in 100 seconds or less, is slowly curing; laying still, in that nook, facing the ground; the heart is racing; time warping; perspective inverting; the respiratory rate forcedly decreasing; self-centered seclusion turning into borderline arousal, lying there, in that moldy ditch; alone, barely seeing anything; almost smelling everything; fighting the temptation to smirk fanatically; the taste of madness; a perfectly balanced blend of terror and excitement; face cupped as insects settle on the neck; the outside world keeps disappearing; after years of abandoned trauma – yearning to be forgotten; entitled and delighted by glorious self-pity; suddenly a familiar touch eliminates carefully constructed despair; confusingly comforting, comfortably confusing; remember that taste.
Sebastian Koeck
,self-centered in tight proximity‘, 2022
stainless steel, straw
