Staircase wit

Hong-Kong, july 2010.

For the traveler, taking the escalator is not always a means of transportation, it can also be some sightseeing experience: there is a real monument in Hong Kong, the Central to Mid-Level escalator , the world’s longest one. If it has not succeeded in reducing congestion, it has generated new businesses, shops and restaurants appearing at what was once the fourth floor of buildings.
Not far away, and much quieter, another escalator is just as intriguing. The heaviness of the panel, the plastic which protects the poster, its very professional form seemingly contradicts with the assesment of a temporary dysfunction. The examination of steps shows that their height is lower than usual and they are therefore quite well adapted to walking. And where are the « escape stairs » usually found near modern devices such as elevators and escalators? This poster is lying to us, it is not been manufactured after the fact, when the technological promise became the embarrassing reality of maintenance and usage, but conceived along the stairs and ramp. This escalator is not temporarily transformed into a staircase, is a hybrid object.