10-MINUTE REFLECTION

A guy walks into a residency, takes a photo and then leaves.

You’re welcome. Thank you, celebrity.

Mariana has a T-shirt that says “No selfies, just talk”. Now people take photos with her in this T-shirt.

Artist in Residency (AIR).

Everything is going wrong.

I forgot my hairbrush.

I bought an app for an artwork. It won’t arrive till next week, too late. I called to ask if I could download it. “No”, they said.

I tried to take myself out to dinner, but they didn’t have a table for one.

Despite wearing shoes in the shower, despite it being cold, for the first time in my life I think I have developed athletes foot. In light of my current situation I am seeing this as an achievement.

Does documentation make the art?

Last night I went to the free the arts forum at ATYP. I tried to wink at a friend but it accidentally caught the eye of another. “Sorry”, I said.

My apology offended her. I go back to my cabin, the only place I know.

My cabin: my cubicle, my cell, my pod, my Virginia Woolf. I’ve never even read that book.

I’ve lost perspective of myself. I have lost confidence in myself.

There is a lot of talk about the relationship between art and failure.

Q: Why is failure such a big deal?

A: Because it feels bad?

If one could be bothered, one could draw a parallel here between the rice and lentil exercise in Marina’s methodology downstairs. By setting the parameters before you start you manage expectations and avoid this feeling of failure.

Q: What are my parameters?

A: A curtain and a time frame.

My friend sends me a picture of Susan Sontag. It’s black and white, she’s youngish, I think, and lies on her back with her hands behind her head.

“In this image…papers, endless drafts are strewn about Sontag like a fan. Facing my memory is strange. Editing confusing.” They say.

Here’s a joke.

Q: How long does it take to make a cup of tea?

A: It depends on the performance artist.

 

– Sarah Rodigari