David Shillinglaw - 'Keep Smiling Kiosk'

DAVID SHILLINGLAW

KEEP SMILING KIOSK

A site-specific installation created and attended by the artist

Presented as a tea-house and pop-corn dispensary, people are invited to join David Shillinglaw in his tea temple, relax and enjoy tasty refreshments. The work highlights the daily rituals we all undertake in order to feel better, and make others around us feel better. The history of tea drinking is a universal language of welcoming and connecting, touching on both the domestic and the spiritual ceremonies that can be found in every culture throughout the world. Shillinglaw spins this out in his own colourful language, playing games with where real life ends and the Art begins.

David will be operating his kiosk on each of the three evenings, sharing free cups of 'Keep Smiling' tea and popcorn with his audience, the curious and anyone willing to share conversation and positivity. All that he asks in return is a happy or helpful thought, a tip or doodle, to be traded with him at the 'Positive Propaganda Collection Point' - a growing wall of everyone’s pinned contributions and participation in the ceremony, displayed alongside David’s kiosk.

The event will also be the launch of David's 'Keep Smiling' newspaper - what will become a regular journal charting his physical and psychogeographical journeys across the globe and the mantra he will be spreading. Tips and doodles given to David as part of the tea ceremony will be used in the next edition of his paper.

Copies of the first issue of the newspaper will be available for free, with a donation to charity encouraged. David will also be further customising and signing 100 of the newspapers to create an exclusive and very limited edition for people to purchase at the event and for David to personalise live for them.