While living in Amsterdam Georgina Starr found a cigar box on a bridge with a mysterious hand written message on the back of it.

It read ;

Dear Erik,

I've known you now for many years.It was always good to see you and hear your voice. We ate together often, mostly in harmony. I've always valued the wise words you spoke to me. I've not seen you now for a long time. But I hope we'll spend a pleasant evening together again.

Perr

Throughout the next year she began to ask the people she met if they knew 'Erik'. Everyone had a story to tell about an Erik they had known. Starr collected the stories and used them to create a type of 'Super Erik'; someone who embodied the characteristics of all the 'Erik's' she had heard about.

After collecting 20 stories Starr recorded them via text, audio and video. Each month for the next 20 months a list of people (who had subscribed to 'ERIK') received a piece of him in the mail.

ERIK

Sound installation

1993

Audio, cigar box, map/illustrations & text

Dimensions Variable

In 1994 Starr exhibited 'Erik' as an audio installation at the Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam. The intimately whispered stories played on 12 speakers around the gallery space creating a cacophony of words and voices.

In the same year 'Erik' was translated into Japanese for the exhibition 'High Fidelity' in Japan.

Click TAPE above for an interview with Starr about 'ERIK' from 1995.