Yesterday noon was my final for my Performance-Installation class. I met my students in the city at the tram stop on the main shopping street. Together we “altered” three small sculptures on this pedestrian street: a bear, a turtle, and a snail. These are not great artworks, and the students were to “improve” them temporarily. They wrapped one in newspaper, gave one a wig and a blindfold, and painted one with temporary paint.
BUT, even though people on the street generally were interested in what we were doing (some even helped), tram-riders thought we were destroying the sculptures and called the police. And so I found myself talking to two officers who were not pleased to be spending their lunch hour sorting out art vs. vandalism. I was taken to the station to explain. Unfortunately, I found the whole situation laughable, which probably didn’t help matters. In the end I only got a scolding. And my students learned some valuable lessons: that the public does care about public art, that it’s fun to involve everyday people in art-making, that risk-taking is thrilling, that a good story can be Art.
Will post a video soon.
On a sad note, my good friend’s husband finally died of lung cancer. He was an art dealer and only 49 years old.
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