The city is full of tourists, people walking and taking pictures of their surroundings. Everywhere there are traces of Graz as the cultural capital of Europe. It is curious that in terms of a city this seems to be the big prize of the arts. Every city becomes part of the selection. The cities guide the cultural behavior of the entire continent; transform themselves in crucial space where the show-off of the cultural scene takes place. On one hand this contrast that the new structures represent to the city due to the overwhelming input of money, is an interesting path, not only because of the amount dedicated to culture during that period, but, due to the view of culture that every city has. This broad view of what the consumer represents.
In general terms, observing myself and regretting of my general condition as a cultural consumer, I am an “art-tourist”. Most of the precious spare time is devoted to art, visiting museums, art shops, artist places, galleries and so on. But what is more incredible for me as witness of my own behavior is that, no matter the place or the interest, my body asks naturally, to go to cultural events. In a certain disproportionate view of the world, there is no place for movement without being conscious of the movement of the arts. That is the part of the artist that travels around; he/she is not only looking for information and possible images in order to enrich the next project, but also following cultural experiences. This definitely is a non-vacation life.
In general terms, observing myself and regretting of my general condition as a cultural consumer, I am an “art-tourist”. Most of the precious spare time is devoted to art, visiting museums, art shops, artist places, galleries and so on. But what is more incredible for me as witness of my own behavior is that, no matter the place or the interest, my body asks naturally, to go to cultural events. In a certain disproportionate view of the world, there is no place for movement without being conscious of the movement of the arts. That is the part of the artist that travels around; he/she is not only looking for information and possible images in order to enrich the next project, but also following cultural experiences. This definitely is a non-vacation life.
This certainty reminds me of a procession of a Christian figure where the devoted carry around the saint. This is the story of every artist and it is the history of art itself, always carrying around it’s own weight. This idea reminds me of the beautiful work of Francys Alÿs for the MOMA in New York, where in the necessity of moving the Museum of Modern Art temporarily to Long Island City in Queens he developed a march of works of art. It reminds me also of the image of Kiki Smith leading the procession as an artist and at the same time as a work of art.
