Laure Prouvost's installation at Witte de With transforms Kafka's Metamorphosis into a surreal, wet environment.

From January 27 to April 2, 2017, Laure Prouvost, a French artist, showcased an installation at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, reimagining her six-part film The Wanderer (2012) as a water and ink setting. Attendees encountered a figure resembling a wire cleaner, equipped with a monitor for a head, who was mopping floors and welcoming visitors to a vodka bar. Water cascaded down the windows, while walls sprayed with diluted ink created a damp atmosphere. Nearby, a bronze octopus rested next to a screen displaying Gregor Samsa writing with octopus ink. The installation featured dripping suits, drenched scarves, and waxy drawings, accompanied by audio of Samsa's sorrows and the intro to Prince's Purple Rain. Prouvost examined translation mishaps through Kafka's Metamorphosis, referencing Marcel Broodthaers' 1969 film La Pluie.