HOST was a collaboration between artist Sovay Berriman and curator Laura Mansfield, seeing the development of a relaxation booth for biennial workers, providing a service for the service provider and allowing the host to become the hosted.

In their individual practices, Sovay and Laura acknowledge the importance of good hosting, both in programming and development. Through the creation of a relaxation booth, they aimed to draw attention to the crucial role hosting plays within the visual arts, highlighting its importance across institutional and sectoral hierarchies. In providing a service for biennial workers, the project offers room for thought on the priority of hosting within the practices of large arts organisations, independent practitioners and individual audience members alike.

A selection of services was on offer in the booth, provided by a team of trained HOST staff. The public were invited to view the hosting and absorb some of the atmosphere, though the services were reserved for biennial staff only.