first the moaning, as usual. [seems like moaning usually is what gets me going, innit?]
they had me travel via munich!!! trains can’t pass the arlberg because of the floods so via munich it was. and that’s not only 2 hours longer, but it envolves munich. and munich and me definitely do not get along. but hey…
then in linz. on my 6th visit i finally booked a different hotel [i admit, not because i wanted to]. on their website it said it was a 10 minute walk from the train station, which i thought was a good thing. what it did not say, was that this was a 10 minute uphill walk. and with luguage on hobbly streets more like 20 minutes – of uphill walk. but hey…
the hotel is more expensive than sommerhaus, but also quite a bit nicer. i am staying at the LFI hotel, run by the “landwirtschafts-kammer”, which is located right next to the “bundesanstalt für leibeserziehung” and the “landessportschule”. and these names do sound scarier than they actually are. but hey…
but but but – and with that i almost conclude my moaning session – then i took my “10 minute walk” downtown [a 10 minute sprint might cut it] and as i crossed hauptplatz the ars electronica fever finally hit me. there, on the 180 tons of sand where theo jansen will create his striking Strandbeest [=beach beasts] sculptures, indian musicians from the srishti school of art design and technology in bangalore were rehearsing their piece the unstruck sound: anahat nad to be performed tonite. poems by the great kabir will get recited, relooped, received via radio equipment, remixed. something like that. but at any rate: it sounds teh beautiful!
a sandy beach on the main square. indian music. great art. here we go hybrid linz.
later at the hybrid creatures and paradox machines exhibit at architekturforum oberösterreich lots of great funky-lowtech-playful work, but one piece really stood out for me. watschendiskurs [=slapping discourse] by frank fietzek and uli winters [D] shows two scruffy puppets facing eachother having a conversation about language theory. they are taking turns reciting wittgenstein and russian proverbs. when one puppet got enough of it slaps the other in the face and takes over. so basically, i want one!
the flooded arlberg will also mean i have to leave a half day early. 🙁 so i best get on with my festival. today the exhibits at O.K centrum für gegenwartskunst and lentos will open doors and in the evening there will be a huge party at a train assembly hall of the ÖBB, where akufen, among others, will play. so my task will be, how to stay awake that long. as usual.
i also can’t wait to see the student works at campus where this year the aforementioned srishti school of art design and technology, bangalore is invited.
ps: conversation overheard during the trainride:
scene: a train crew guy writes something down for an old lady
train crew guy: here you go, here’s all the information you need.
old lady: thank you. but i could not help but notice, that unlike me they did not re-educate you, you are still writing with your left hand. back in my time they forced me to switch.
tcg: believe me they tried. but i just would not have it.
ol: yeah, well you are in good company, you know. george bush,…
tcg: *interupts* now, that alone would be a reason for me to start writing with my right hand. or to stop writing altogether…
ol: no no, i agree, same here. same here.
ps2: are you blogging ars? join the list!