Post by Taxigirl on Dec 3, 2003 10:48:10 GMT
An artist has created a usable public toilet in a glass cube to challenge the curiosity - and bravery - of people passing London's Tate Britain gallery.
Monica Bonvicini said visitors would have to "defy their own embarrassment" to use the minimalist cubicle, made from one-way mirrored glass.
It is impossible to see into the toilet, which will be free to use, but the person inside can see passers-by.
The work, called Don't Miss A Sec, uses a prison loo as a historical reference.
The site - on the old parade ground at the former Royal Army Medical College - once housed Millbank Penitentiary, where prisoners were held before being transported to Australia.
A spokeswoman for the artist said: "It will arouse curiosity because people can come and just use it, although there is a question of whether people will feel comfortable doing so.
"They may be wary of desecrating a work of art or may be uneasy that because they can see out, other people can see in.
"There could be this feeling that there is some form of switch to change it and let people see in, but of course there isn't."
Ms Bonvicini, born in Italy but based in Los Angeles, is known for using her work to make people question their environment.
The installation will open for two hours from 1800 GMT each week day, from 1400 to 1800 GMT on Saturdays and 1000 to 1800 GMT on Sundays.
Ms Bonvicini is not alone in using a toilet to bring art to the public.
In October, two artists opened The Toilet Gallery - a converted public loo in Kingston-upon-Thames, south-west London, showcasing young artists from across Britain.