And what about China? OR: And what about tea?

Newspapers and other media are so thankful about President elected Mr. Trump that they nearly forget other world’s big players in politics (and economics). So, have you read something lately about China? Or Saudi-Arabia and States related? South America is in the papers now because of the economic crisis they are facing, Africa seems to be a forgotten continent still. And have you ever heard about Australia? Or do you know ‘el Tigre’?

Russia is popping up sometimes, still not clear whether they might have influenced the US elections or not, Putin met Erdoğan before and after the elections in Turkey (but did not look him into the eye when talking…), Mr. Seehofer also visited him. Perhaps he wanted his most beloved ‘Obergrenze’ to become true in Russia? Hm. At the moment, Putin holds court in Сочи .

And China? Oversized Giveaways for Germany, for Trier, or example. This huge Karl-Marx statue – they really wanted that? Cannot believe it. As Trump would have put it: “What’s the deal?” Pre-celebrating the 200th birthday of Karl Marx in 2018 with a wooden Trojan dummy. Or distracting from other engagements, like their interest in Deutsche Bank? Anyway, there is a Karl-Marx-Museum in Trier – Marx’s birthplace. Not enough for them.

Mrs. Merkel visited Mr. Trump, the results of the Netherland’s elections she carried as a European asset and important SIEMENS, BMW and Schaeffler managers accompanied her.
Full power. But Mr. Trump has not been willing to give Mrs. Merkel a second handshake in front
of the press. Left Mrs. Merkel bewildered… maybe she asked about why his daughter is now in politics without mandate? Or Mr. de Maizière told Mr. Trump in advance that Germans accept only one handshake. Others, like CEO Mr. Zetsche decided to travel earlier, to Austin, Texas,
to be part of the digi crowd there at the SXSW Conference, looking for business as soon
as possible and the opportunities to transfer the conference concept to Germany.

In the EU, Polish Donald Tusk has been reelected as President of the Council, although the national-conservative Polish government tried to prevent it until the very end – 27 out of the
28 states voted pro Tusk.

Great Britain, now officially is a Brexit case (including the YES from the Queen), and Scotland is preparing another referendum whether to stay in the UK or not.

Greece? Still in and they started the Documenta 14, Kassel follows 2nd. Saw the online promo for both places, and: nearly not inviting at all. Only colors when you move your mouse over (if you have one, ha), too bad… Bulgarians and Serbians are struggling against corruption at the moment, like people started in Russia too.

In Germany, Mr. Schulz seems to be not so much into travelling around the world, he is more into the German campaign at the moment, sending out Mr. Gabriel for the Foreign Affairs. Mr. Schulz set a new SPD record as he has been voted for party leader at 100%. At the moment, SPD 2nd place (28%), Union still ahead with 36%, DIE LINKE, AfD and GRÜNE 8% each, FDP 7% (source: Forsa 5/3/2017; percentages other institutes vary slightly). So, FDP seems to make it over the 5% hurdle; but: Where is Mr. Lindner? At the tailor’s? Saw him in a short TV take in the heute show lately on ZDF, he made a funny joke about the age of his main competitors, kind of “hey, they are over 60” thing… This is really true, this is a given fact. As well that we had another quiet May 1st.

Another Referendum showed its results, I would better put it, first results, as there are about 2 million votes questioned – the Turkish Referendum APR 16 (the about 1.4 Million Turkish electorate in Germany had two weeks to vote from MAR 27 to APR 9). Not only in the Netherlands Turkish ministers were not allowed to make promos for Erdoğan, also here in Germany, starting with an initiative of several ‘Bundesländer’, the Turkish ministers have been confronted with a ‘No, thank you.’ And ‘No, thank you’ especially the Turkish people here in Germany said to Democracy at home – why do you want a hard liner at home while enjoying democracy here?

France will be the next European country with decisive elections, started their 1st round APR 23, le Pen and Macron still in the race. DIE ZEIT titled “Leider rechts / Sorry, right wing” with a profile photo of Mrs. Le Pen. Telling me what? She is right wing, OK, but she looks great? Hardliner profile, like a man? First official police photo before arrest?

US: Genetic tests for employees became totally legal – in their all about Trump Bohei, people just missed what this could lead to. And regarding the wall, first ideas are on the table to be discussed. Even here in Germany, newspapers are handling the wall as a given fact. But, thank you, some architects, that some of your proposals aim to tear it down before having even built it – by proposing a high speed train to combine Méjico and the US; high speed trains, hm, the Chinese are so good at building up those, using German technology as well. Here we are again… “And what about China?” A friend told me, that China never did start a war like the US in history, demolishing countries and leaving them in ruins after bombing. Well, that is true, the Chinese just use other techniques, but they are at least like that, using other methods –
they manipulate and kill free souls and minds. US? You too? Who else?
Reminds me of a sentence I wrote years ago: “Wollt ihr denn ein Seelenloser Haufen sein?” / “Will you really be a soulless bunch of people?” “Ah, “soul”, come on – we do not have an algorithm for that, we do not need it. We just need money.” Well, you will only know what you miss once you’re having it, or thanks to “jenes höhere Wesen, das wir verehren.”
(Heinrich Böll, Doktor Murkes gesammeltes Schweigen, first published in 1955).
WE know that there is something about it. YOU do not have. Scientists are
continuously working on decoding our DNA to prevent severe diseases etc.
And to do what else? Ah, by the way, why does Scientology still exist?
Always annoys me when passing them with the car;
by foot, too dangerous, they might draw you in.

Well, back to the wall: Other designs are just too awful, like Zoo fencings (but who will be the animal then, who human, ha, ha). Or high security walls you might know from the high security prisons… good that California is protesting by ignoring companies who are bidding. Mr. Trump should have been visiting Berlin at the times the Wall still has been a fact in Berlin. And he should know what the effects are. To bring people together again afterwards is an enormous effort (WE KNOW), and building up fences sooner or later leads to revolts.

Big parades in North Korea showed again the power they have meanwhile. Like it seems to be an old ritual in the Eastern countries they rolled their penises, ups, sorry, rockets, I mean, in front of the audience. Uh, this is too rude, in front of women and children, and the whole world. This is illegal!

And the Baltics? They try to make us more familiar with their Eastern Melancholia, now with actor’s support. In the end, the press is obviously on its way to be stripped down to another form of common sense. TAGESSPIEGEL’s design in black, white and red more and more reminds me of old, old designs like in the former GDR or other times-we-do-not-want to-have-again.
No Schnörkels, keep it clear! ‘ You really want this back? Or is it a color play to make us yet comfortable living under another Great Coalition again? “Because, hey, where are the other colors?” Is it a newspaper only or is it manipulation already?

More Funny FairY Tales

Under FBI surveillance?

Diner for four on 10th Street, overwhelming choices on the menu (some dishes have been exactly the same, just the sesame has been the difference), WLAN not so easy to get…
Our mobiles showed different ones – one of them: ‘FBI surveillance.’ Ups.
And a FBI surveillance car on the street. Tracking someone?
Well, could not get their WLAN connection –
would have been too funny though. A trap? Fake car? At 10 P.M., bedtime for the FBI ‘agents’,
the car drove away…

“Hands up, baby, hands up – gimme (…)”!

Bubble wrap under the carpet at the fair to prevent our feet from freezing, thank you. And a real sound experience at the same time. While walking over the carpet, some visitors have been shocked about the crackling of the bubbles !PENG!, !PENG!, some really did not have any clue and were just irritated. And some – the experts, they knew… Stay cool, no shooting here…

Alley-op!

Not on horseback over obstacles or in the circus ring, but in a food court one evening. Got the new gastro-gadgets with blinking, buzzing, you-know-what-and-why-LEDs that give you a signal as soon as your order is ready to be picked up. Soon? Ours showed 40 resp. 15.
OMG – 40 minutes to wait? So, alley-op, we had to get our drinks at another counter
(you really have to ask for beer, not every counter has a license for alcohol), alley-op,
back to the table with the beers, alley-op to the counter to get the first dish – not complete…
Asked the waiter behind the counter if he his able to tell me how long it will take until my orders will be ready.
Well, he could tell – good. But food then… and service? None. You only can eat out that way
when you are at least 3 people and have no clue regarding good food. Ridicule…
A real Gotham City – hey, Batman, here is a job to do.

“Can you tell me where I am?” a visitor asked me, holding the fair map in his hands.
“We are on the ground floor.” Well, a bit bold this answer, I have to admit, the man obviously knew also that he is on the first floor.
“Oh, I do not wear my glasses…” I continued, and, actually, I really could not read the floor plan,
although I am really good at reading maps. Well, the man could figure it out by himself anyway…

Fairs and no end

Have you been visiting one or more of the Art Fairs lately, or actively being part of one?
In New York, for example, even the press missed some of the fairs. The Armory, Nada, Scope,
The Independent New York and more. Not to Forget VOLTA, on pier 90, pretty close to the Armory (piers 92, 94). Hard to believe that these two fairs have the same owner – and even harder:
If you have been visiting one of these two fairs you would not have even noticed that there is another fair so close. No signs, no reduced tickets, no visitors exchange. hey, ever heard about marketing? Cross Selling? No? Too bad… And no press obviously on VOLTA. A short article on artnet (one of the sponsors), pretending that it has been a good fair. Well, the sponsors have to be positive, but if you have asked the exhibitors… they had another impression.

Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York, pier 90

Welcome to New York?

The majority of the exhibitors would not have signed this promo.

Perhaps, New Yorkers and the press are just overfed with Art Fairs and
all the other events related to the Arts.

But ignoring a fair right next to the promiment Armory is a no go.
And the same owner. ‘Pfui’ we would say.
Asian Art Week followed right behind, the ‘copy pasters’-week, and so on and so on…

Besides the fairs, a MoMA visit is always worth it. Not only because of their collection –
saw the Francis Picabia exhibition… fantastic. A classic exhibition of his works, you accompanied Picabia through the years of his life and his reflection of decades in (art) history. Picabia’s cite
” The head is round so that thoughts are able to change direction.” describes his approach to the different art trends of the 20th century. Cuban born, with multi-national heritage and having been living most of his life in France, his work also responds to both World War I and II, and his cultural (and political) influences. I would say, an art opportunist in a way.

Trump Tower? Rockefeller Center? Clear decision – Rockefeller Center. Even more with the huge Linnenbrink drip painting in the new lobby. Have a sneak view from the outside… opening soon… Central Park has been only a short walk up to the north, a quick tea time in one of the restaurants close to the park. Ready to walk up the rocks, spotting for squirrels, strolling a bit along the walkways and then back to the hotel – busy again to find a spot to eat out. Quite easy in that area we have been based, although the name of the quarter sounds not so promising: Hell’s Kitchen. Sometimes, in the hotel, I felt like being actually right there: None of the promising electronic buttons did work (ON/ OFF, ALL IN/ OUT: What the h*** for?), TV has not been working properly and most of all the bathroom door nearly cut my toe off the very last day. OK, OK, survived – and the panoramic view has been amazing, really.

Flying to NY: Thank you air berlin for this fantastic view onto Iceland’s coast; and back to Berlin @JFK: The fastest security control I ever experienced…

So, here, after Art Cologne (they will establish a second fair in Berlin, Art Berlin), the famous Gallery Weekend with new spots/ halls expanding in every direction (including frantic ‘one night stand’ exhibitions… but to attract visitors they even have to fly Mme Huppert in, just do simple name-dropping, ‘Uh, Bryan Adams is also owner, wow…‘ or install history relived (or history repeats?) art…), the art circus is travelling again – documenta 14 in Athens (JUN 10, Kassel will open – if you were able to find your way through this all-so-confusing and not-inviting-at-all website), Venice Biennale… save travels, for everybody and everything.