30 July 2004
I went to the Señor Coconut concert yesterday. And danced all my soul with Karen. We took advantage of all the space that was left empty in front of the stage. Slowly, that space got filled with other people who came here to dance. Lots of smiles were exchanged. Because people were just happy to dance together.
At the end of the concert, a young happy man came to me and kissed me on the cheek in a way that felt like he had to do it. And then left. Just like that. I love those spontaneous interactions with complete strangers that take me by surprise.
Soon after, it reminded me of another interaction with strangers that strongly marked my memory. It was at a restaurant, I was eating at the bar with a charming young man and we kissed for the first time. Few people came to us in the evening to tell us very nice things. One woman in particular told us that we looked very much in love and it was beautiful to see - she was hoping that our love would last forever. I feel sad that her wish will not happen. Somehow I'm sorry to disappoint her.
I would not trade my memories for any peace of mind. I just wish they would not haunt me like lost ghosts.
Obviously, memories are probably my favorite theme when it comes to find a subject for storytelling.
-- Joëlle
At the end of the concert, a young happy man came to me and kissed me on the cheek in a way that felt like he had to do it. And then left. Just like that. I love those spontaneous interactions with complete strangers that take me by surprise.
Soon after, it reminded me of another interaction with strangers that strongly marked my memory. It was at a restaurant, I was eating at the bar with a charming young man and we kissed for the first time. Few people came to us in the evening to tell us very nice things. One woman in particular told us that we looked very much in love and it was beautiful to see - she was hoping that our love would last forever. I feel sad that her wish will not happen. Somehow I'm sorry to disappoint her.
I would not trade my memories for any peace of mind. I just wish they would not haunt me like lost ghosts.
Obviously, memories are probably my favorite theme when it comes to find a subject for storytelling.
-- Joëlle
26 July 2004
My friend Julie was in town [Dublin] last week. It was rather refreshing to talk with her about the "working conditions" of a media artist.
We thought few times that it might be better to stop. At all. Because fighting for doing what we care about, for creating, for producing the content we want is not THAT fun. Finding the money is of course the primary problem. We have to move where the financing is. We have to live far away from our lovers, friends and family. We chose an unsteady lifestyle. At the end one wonders if *it* worths the trouble. Because even then, when you finally find a structure to support your work, the doubts are still there for some reason. You are aware it is not going to last forever.
So, what is the next stop? Where is the next city, the new life, the new friends? How do you start all over again, every 1-2-3 years? How do you maintain contacts, a network? But mainly: how long? How long can I go on like this? Will there be a time/an age where I will be in a secure position enough or instead, will I have to struggle all my life?
I don't think I want to answer those questions, really.
Because at the end it doesn't matter so much. In the meantime, I have the chance to do what I want and I met an incredible number of fantastic people in the last ten years. And that's why I'm still doing it. Because of the people I meet, and because of the people I lost contact with but that I remember often enough to feel happy about my life.
- Joëlle.
We thought few times that it might be better to stop. At all. Because fighting for doing what we care about, for creating, for producing the content we want is not THAT fun. Finding the money is of course the primary problem. We have to move where the financing is. We have to live far away from our lovers, friends and family. We chose an unsteady lifestyle. At the end one wonders if *it* worths the trouble. Because even then, when you finally find a structure to support your work, the doubts are still there for some reason. You are aware it is not going to last forever.
So, what is the next stop? Where is the next city, the new life, the new friends? How do you start all over again, every 1-2-3 years? How do you maintain contacts, a network? But mainly: how long? How long can I go on like this? Will there be a time/an age where I will be in a secure position enough or instead, will I have to struggle all my life?
I don't think I want to answer those questions, really.
Because at the end it doesn't matter so much. In the meantime, I have the chance to do what I want and I met an incredible number of fantastic people in the last ten years. And that's why I'm still doing it. Because of the people I meet, and because of the people I lost contact with but that I remember often enough to feel happy about my life.
- Joëlle.
23 July 2004
In the same idea of writing more often in this blog, I published a personal Media Lab Europe homepage that gathers together most of the links I use for publishing artwork, and my visual "diaries".
It is still very "raw" at the moment but I like it somewhat. I can't recall having such a site that works more as some sort of database or memory of my presence on the web. The ideal google search results if I was to type my name in!
Check it out: *the* homepage
- Joëlle.
It is still very "raw" at the moment but I like it somewhat. I can't recall having such a site that works more as some sort of database or memory of my presence on the web. The ideal google search results if I was to type my name in!
Check it out: *the* homepage
- Joëlle.
21 July 2004
i had been wanting to post a text on this blog for so long.
it took me months.
is someone reading that blog?
am i talking in the void?
that doesn't matter.
i have to start somewhere, with myself as my own audience. like a kid in front of the mirror singing "like a virgin" by madonna with a hairbrush in the hand.
i can't manage multitasking.
i can't manage onetasking.
i'm lazy. or forgetful.
or traumatized by writing. especially about my work. it has to change.
you should know my work. you should know our work better. it is great.
- Joëlle
it took me months.
is someone reading that blog?
am i talking in the void?
that doesn't matter.
i have to start somewhere, with myself as my own audience. like a kid in front of the mirror singing "like a virgin" by madonna with a hairbrush in the hand.
i can't manage multitasking.
i can't manage onetasking.
i'm lazy. or forgetful.
or traumatized by writing. especially about my work. it has to change.
you should know my work. you should know our work better. it is great.
- Joëlle
