Leiden artists ask for donations of urine: ‘Dirty but authentic’

Two artists from Leiden are looking for urine for a project. They want to make dust in an age-old way and that requires a lot of pee.

“It’s dirty, but super authentic”, they tell Broadcasting West† The urine, together with wool, warm water and butter, is necessary to make it dull: the fabric for which the textile city of Leiden became famous in the seventeenth century.

Emmer

People can leave their urine in the studio of the two women. There is a bucket ready under a toilet. Then the urine has to ‘ripen’, creating the ammonia needed for the boring.

From Saturday, sheep will come to Rembrandtpark to supply wool. Then the putrid urine must be pounded through the wool with the feet. Volunteers can also register for this.

The final works by Leids boring will hang in a museum.

–