Bathroom Experiment
Spring 2016
The Bathroom Experiment was an interactive intervention performed in USC’s School of Cinematic Arts (SCA). We performed the experiment in 14 men’s and women’s bathrooms (12 in SCA, 2 in a dining hall) by writing a question in dry-erase marker on the bathroom mirror, and leaving a marker tethered to the sink for future bathroom visitors to use. We deliberately chose the private space of bathrooms to stage this public conversation. This had particular significance in the pristine buildings of SCA, where any modification to the space is highly discouraged.
Gender Question in a Gendered Space
Through this experiment, we sought to spark conversation about gender in the only gender-segregated space we occupy daily: public restrooms. We asked unsuspecting participants, “Why did you choose the women’s/men’s bathroom today?”–a decision many folks make daily without thinking, while for others it can be a source of trauma.
Results
As this was a guerilla project, we anticipated getting shut down at any moment. In the short time that the experiment stayed up (as short as 30 minutes in some bathrooms), we generated a high level of engagement. More photos of results coming soon :)
Note: dry-erase marker wipes cleanly from mirrors, and we were prepared to clean up the mess ourselves so as to not put more work on any cleaning staff