an endless act of cleaning unfolds on a floating platform in berlin

CAUTION WET FLOOR imagines an everyday domestic task as art

An everyday domestic task, specifically, mopping the floor, is relocated to a new context to draw attention to a form of labor that often goes unnoticed. Performed on a floating platform by Insola, in the middle of Berlin’s River Spree, the act of cleaning is detached from its practical purpose and presented as a continuous, repetitive action.

The six-hour durational performance by artist Lara Lussheimer examines the tension between routine labor and the desire to impose order. By placing a familiar domestic gesture within an environment where it appears functionally unnecessary, the work, CAUTION WET FLOOR, reflects on the persistence of repetitive actions and the limits of control.

CAUTION WET FLOOR is a six-hour durational performance by Lara Lussheimer | image by Karacho Berlin

six-hour performance examines labor, repetition, and control

Throughout the performance, the sequence of wetting the floor, mopping, placing the ‘CAUTION WET FLOOR’ sign, and waiting for the surface to dry is repeated continuously by artist Lara Lussheimer before beginning again. Surrounded by the river, the action unfolds against an expanse of water that reinforces its apparent futility, transforming an ordinary maintenance task into a sustained reflection on labor, repetition, and the impossibility of ever fully completing the act.

the performance takes place on Insola’s floating platform | image by Karacho Berlin

the performance centers on repetitive domestic labor | image by Dennis Schnieber

the floor is repeatedly wetted and cleaned | image by Dennis Schnieber

a ‘CAUTION WET FLOOR’ sign accompanies each cycle | image by Dennis Schnieber

cleaning is detached from its practical function | image by Dennis Schnieber

the action transforms maintenance into an ongoing ritual | image by Dennis Schnieber

the sequence repeats continuously over six hours | image by Karacho Berlin

project info:

name: CAUTION WET FLOOR, 6h Long Durational Art Performance
performative artist: Lara Lussheimer | @laralussheimer

platform structure: Insola Berlin | @insola.berlin
drone footage: Karacho Berlin | @karachoberlin
analogue footage: Dennis Schnieber | @dennisschnieber

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom