Doug Aitken

When he was very young, he had trouble sleeping. His mother would take him on her daily routine. Trips to the market, gas station, and liquor store. It soon became apparent to his mother that the only time he would sleep deeply was while he was in the car, and then only when the car was in motion.

As his sleepless nights progressed, the young mother began thinking of more errands than usual, almost as an excuse to put him to sleep and for her to find a moment of tranquillity. Their drives progressed until one day they boarded the car and set out on the road without a destination. They just drove, the two of them, her at the wheel and him deep in a state of sleep. They drove for hours, through endless suburban neigh- borhoods and urban places. They navigated streets as if exploring the veins of a body. At dusk they finally pulled into the asphalt driveway of their house and switched the ignition off, but they didn't leave the car.