Empty Spaces

Heliocentric XXX

The people upstairs were arguing. He was lying on the bed talking to his friend on the phone and could hear the wood floors creaking from someone pacing back and forth over his head.

He was telling his friend about an upcoming exhibition of his photographs, focused on the rather disturbing trend of empty retail spaces in the city.

He lost the train of the conversation and digressed about how odd it was living in these structures where people are carrying on their lives above and below. They’re cooking meals over fires right below us, or sitting at computers writing, having sex on beds, going to the toilet, lounging on couches in front of wall sized televisions, even standing under running water in showers. Or sadly, like now, exchanging really loud sharp words of conflict.

Is it loud enough for you to hear what its about? No, it’s garbled, sounds like a mix of languages, maybe Spanish, Italian. Funny, it reminds me of that verse of mashed up languages in the Beatles song, Sun King.

It would make an interesting art project, two or three apartments with glass floors. Distracting. And a bit disconcerting. Seeing his cat walk into the room he added — I wonder how cats would respond to seeing their own species in those enclosed worlds stacked on top of each other.

Hey, I’m hearing laughter from upstairs now. Excellent! I think you were saying something about galleries themselves being empty retail spaces.

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© AleXander Hirka 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Heliocentric Redux 2019 Heliocentric. October 2018 writing project — one short sketch a day, under 250 words each, circling like a planet around The Sun.

For your consideration, my blog: Tempest Tossed in New York City — writing and art and life in New York City