With Slavoj Zizek at Zurich’s Sihlquai
2012-10-10
Dear Slavoj Žižek,
I was told that it needs at least 30 emails until you finally would answer. So, let’s pretend this is my thirtieth email to you.
As there is very little time left, I enormously hope that you will respond to this one!
Imanuel Schipper wrote to you about that students-project taking place at that reART:theURBAN-congress in Zurich which is called „Escort-Service“ and that there would be some student who might contact you. That student is me.
We were told to bring our guest to an interesting place in Zurich and then see what happens. I wonder now, if you have any time around that congress-days to take part in that project and share some of your thoughts with me?
There actually is a place I would like to show you and I am convinced that it would be interesting to get your opinion about that spot: It is a high-frequented road near the river. Frequented by cars driven by staring and evaluating men and on the footpath populated by women offering their services: A blow-job for 50 and a fuck for 80 Swiss francs.
It is an area that could be in any city in the world. So, it’s not an exclusivness of Zurich. But as neat and clean Zurich is, there are plans now to get rid of that business and dislocate it a little distance outside of town on an area where they will construct a few „Verrichtungsboxen“, a kind of cabinets in which the cars would fit in and transactions in there would be hidden. A little bungalow colony similar to some kind of a drive-in-gated-community with sanitary installations as well as protection by surveillance-cameras. And this arrangement of course, should actually help and protect the prostitutes, as well as give a relieve to the present neighborhood on the riverside.
From my point of view as an artist I was wondering if you might be basically interested in a confrontation with this aspect of Zurich – and as implied – in a more general perspective? Or, how could art react on such a situation?
So, for me it would be a great pleasure in meeting you and getting some Žižekian views on that matter. Therefore I would absolutely appreciate to hear from you, soon.
Thank you for your attention and kind regards,
Barbara Naegelin
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2012-10-15
Dear Slavoj Žižek,
Last week I wrote to you about that students-project that will take place at the occasion of the congress reART:theURBAN in Zurich.
Maybe you read it? To make that project a little more attractive to you I allow myself to give you more precise informations about it:
The plan is to walk with you along the Sihlquai which is a synonym for Zurich’s main street prostitution area.
You’ll get a T-shirt to wear on which there is a number (1) and your name. I myself will wear a similar T-shirt with my name and the number „0“.
We would discuss about how an artist could react on that area.
There would be a photographer observing us from distance and taking pictures – like a paparazzo.
In the end there will be a series of pictures that will be arranged in a „foto-romanza-layout“. Into the speech-balloons I would write some extracts of our discussion.
And there will be two T-shirts left over as a „proof“ and relict of that action.
For you, the whole thing would need about one or two hours – preferably in the evening of 26th october. But of course, I have no idea, what your plans are for that evening. And I can imagine, that this might be just another stress for you and that you are absolutely not interested in any additional effort during your stay in Zurich. Maybe there could be another solution, like picking you up at the airport and bringing you to your hotel? A taxi-moment? An almost real Escort-service?
Thank you for considering this proposal.
Kind regards,
Barbara Naegelin
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2012-10-15
Dear colleague,
terribly sorry, but I will be totally jet-lagged and tired! -s
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2012-10-15
Dear colleague (I am flattered) Slavoj Zizek,
Yes, I understand. And yes, I am disappointed.
There is always a plan B. And I keep up my hope: So, if ever you will realize that your fatigue and jet-lag won’t be as bad as you thought it would be. And if you maybe feel like a short walk along the lake-side, or so, let me know. Just in case my phone-nr. xxx
barbara naegelin
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End of the story?
***
No!
On wednesday, october 24, together with Janic Eberhard I went to the Sihlquai at 7pm to check out the location. There were no prostitutes and therefore no wooers. We drank a beer and went again at 7.30pm. Still the same situation. They only start at around 10pm. So, I mimed the whole dialogue with no Slavoj Zizek and with no disturbing business going on around me. And Janic took the pictures. The other day I made a montage with some videostills of Mr Zizek and placed him next to me into the Silhquai pictures. The „fotoromanza“ was set. The bubbles for our dialogue would only be filled with my questions. The answer-bubbles of Mr Zizek remained empty.
End of the story?
***
No!
On saturday, 27th october Slavoj Zizek’s key-note took place. I sat in the first rowe just in front of him. Sometimes he would look at me – and as I thought – recognize my shirt. (I was wearing the same that I wore in the pictures of the fotoromanza). After his lecture-performance I approached him to finally get a picture of the two of us together. He worried that I wanted to make an interview with him but I told him who I am. We stood there for the picture (taken by Mirjam Wirz) and I am sure that he promised me that he would soon answer my questions.
He got a T-shirt as a present. (I brought it to his hotel) But until now I haven’t heard nor read from him.
End of the story?
***
Who knows?
Guest: Slavoj Žižek
Concept and montage: Barbara Naegelin
Fotos: Janic Eberhard and Mirjam Wirz
reART:theURBAN „City link“