Office

Working in an underfunded office in the public sector. Office workers brought in toys and soft animals to decorate their desks and shelves; toys suitable for very young children.

These toys were eventually violated and subverted. I would come in in the morning to find two monkeys engaged in a sex act, or a troll suspended by a tiny noose. Most people in the office fantasised about leaving and had interesting hobbies which they fitted into evenings and weekends – a tortoise breeder for example.

The offices had many signs about what to do in case of an emergency including many signs showing how to leave the building in a hurry. For many of us, moments in the ordinary day felt like an emergency and the signs seemed to highlight the fact that we were unable to leave. A false fire alarm was cause for celebration and we rushed outside like children.