Melanie Manchot

Sleep is elementary for the functioning of the human organism; in late capitalist, post-industrial structures, the night is designated as the time for sleeping. The function of sleep and dreaming itself remains mysterious and confronts current (neurological) research with the unanswered question: why do we actually need to sleep?

In her current film project, Nocturnal Day, artist Melanie Manchot follows protagonists from the Ruhr area who work between dusk and dawn and, as classic night workers, evade the sleep time that is scheduled for the night. The film will take the audience through the post-industrial backdrops of the Ruhr area to places that are connected by historical, economic or political events.

As part of Wandersalon #34, Melanie Manchot will provide insights into the current work being made for Ruhr Ding: Schlaf, tying the project's approach into the wider context of her work. She places a special focus on the relationship between the body and urban architecture and thus fans out the diverse questions of social, political and power structures that are inherent in this constellation.