Erase the Traces

Erase the traces 1.1

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Description: A figure is seen resting by the Seine with text from Walter Benjamin's 'The Arcades Project' stencilled on its front.  The text read- 'The man who hasn't signed anything, Who left no picture, Who was not there, Who said nothing: How can they catch him? Erase the traces.' Translated- 'L'homme qui n'a pas signé quoi que ce soit, Qui n’a pas laissé d'image, Qui n'était pas là, Qui ne dit rien: Comment peuvent-ils le saisir? Effacez les traces.  Due to the length of time some homeless people spend resting in the one location in Paris, fallen leaves and flowers can often be seen decorating their body.  These largely unknown people are marked by the seasons, their bodies acting as a canvas to climatic and environmental conditions of the time.  The Action Researcher/Performer made brown and black crepe paper flowers, which were scattered around the constructed stationary figure.


Benjamin, W., & Tiedemann, R. (1999) The Arcades Project, Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

© Astra Howard 2014