Author: dhadmin

Wenn ich nicht mit einkaufen kommen kann, Sozialkontakte nicht pflege, keine Arbeit habe, keine Fragen stellen darf (‚Misch dich nicht ein!‘ ‚Immer wenn du dich einmischst geht was schief.’ ‘Sitz’, ‘Platz’, ‘Ab’) – ja was kann/ darf/ soll ich dann noch hier? Simple Fragen werden mir schon als Einmischung ausgelegt… bald trau’ ich mich überhaupt nicht mehr irgend etwas zu sagen – verstumme quasi ganz. Ja, aus Angst. Aus Angst eine gewischt zu kriegen. Aus Angst noch mehr Brüllerei zu provozieren. Aus Angst vor der Angst.
Bleibt da noch was? Wo in den tiefsten Tiefen soll ich dann mein Selbstwertgefühl suchen? Schließlich bin ich ein intelligenter Schnauzer.

Man and woman. Marriage. Again and again. Often a trouble spot nobody finds right solution for it. Really? Perhaps we still have not found the right solution.

Einer will der Bestimmer sein – kann er ja mal. Aber eben nicht immer. Das ist kein Gesetz und nicht in Stein gemeißelt. Manchmal gibt es Situationen da wird einer dazu – und gibt diese Rolle natürlich ungern wieder ab wenn sie ihm so gut gefällt. Aber insgesamt ist es für die Chancen- und Talentverteilung vielleicht total kontraproduktiv.

Aber viele Männer meinen immer noch ganz selbstverständlich: ‚Ne, einer muß da schon zurück stecken.‘ Selbst gehört im Bekanntenkreis – und wie selbstverständlich ist das halt immer die Frau. Mann muß ja Kohle ran schaffen und ist dadurch der designierte Bestimmer. Umgekehrt geriert sich übrigens auch Frau so wenn sie das Geld verdient (auch schon so erlebt).

Das ist kein Kausalzusammenhang, liebe Leute, dass derjenige der verdient bestimmt! Der der das Geld verdient macht seinen Job – aber zuhause ist nicht Job, da ist Ehe oder Partnerschaft – das ist was anderes.

Wenn da nicht zumindest die Chance besteht dass der Nicht-Verdiener auch mal das Sagen hat – dann ist Gefahr in Verzug. Dann wird das gute alte Rollenmodell gelebt und nichts anderes. Dann haben wir das 20. Jahrhundert noch nicht überwunden an der Stelle.

Demokratische Verhältnisse müssen her – denn da hat auch nicht automatisch die Partei das Sagen die das meiste Geld hat (hopefully ;-)) sondern Stimmen, also Zu-Stimmung erzielt hat. Das sollte doch in Partnerschaften möglich sein, oder?

And what about humans and dogs?

Artists know about it – sitting/ standing in front of a white sheet of paper – and really nothing comes into your mind. For hours, for days …

Ordinary working dogs just cannot comprehend. ‚Do something.’ ‚You have been in your studio the whole day – and what is ready now?‘ – Hm, what? Easy enough to say – with their SMS typing or Whats apps, mails, tweets, posts and who knows what else – only to be busy or at least look like.

An artist simply does not do this. He stands the emptiness. Because he knows: Someday it is coming – the idea that fills the empty sheet of paper. And then helps him to go on. He knows that real creativity cannot be forced. Even if some coaches already postulate it. But they always put the methodology in the foreground, not the inspiration itself.

And this subtle difference only a few know about.

Nobody really wants to realize that we are already under a total social and digital control.

‚Handy dabei?‘ werden Almut und Thomas oft gefragt, klar, oft aus Sicherheitsgründen, aber viel mehr doch inzwischen auch um genau fest zu halten wo ich wie mit wem was bespreche und mache – da schon im Hintergrund jemand wieder an einer App rum schraubt. Da ist das ‚Tüte dabei?‘ als Standardfrage für die Hundekotentsorgung doch ehrlicher, oder? Oder wollen sie in Zukunft den Hundekot mit ihrem smartphone aufheben?

Oder in den Museen und Ausstellungen – scheint ja ohne Audioguide gar nicht mehr zu bewältigen zu sein bzw. werden schon so gemacht dass selbst ich einen Audioguide bräuchte. Geh’, so a Schmarrn. Soll i da wia a Zombie duarch lafa?

Und merkt ihr eigentlich dass sich parallel eine neue deutsche Widerstandsfront bildet, die alles Englische et. Al. gar nicht haben will? Wo schon das Wort Café offenbar unerwünscht ist?

Wir sind hier in Deutschland. Ja, klar. Aber mir dann jedes englische oder sonstige Wort abspenstig zu machen ist doch albern und total reaktionär. Schließlich treff’ ich jeden Tag Hunde aus Spanien, Griechenland oder sonstwo her. Lieber bringen wir uns doch ein paar Sprachen bei und lassen zur Freude aller ein paar Bonmots fallen. Das bringt keinen um – und wer’s nicht kann dem helfen wir halt. Persönlich. Individuell.

Denn bald wird es heißen: App? Kann jeder. Persönlich? Ist high class. 

I really wanted to get into it here, find a new job that really suits me, I was really enthusiastic.

And now? After all that time I have to say that I did not succeed. Or better – could not find the right job here. Why? First of all  I tried to find a job in the same way and in the same field than before – wrong plan. My fault. Because my idea of ‘QM’ is different to the idea of thousands of rules and paragraphs. Job opportunities in the newspapers sounded promising – and in the end turned out to be ‚fakes’. As nobody wants to hear simple facts – and always keep smiling is a nice idea but sometimes you have to be bad.

So I had the chance to get into the fields of manufactured jewelry, art, museum stores, shops in general, design, coaching, concept writing and drawing, dog and horse training  – everything from different perspectives – and so much more that I really have to say I lost my red line.

But did I really?
No. Instead I found myself again – my own instincts and feelings, knowing about my weaknesses and really seeing my strengths. Knowing my interests, intuition.

At the beginning money was important, of course, I did not want to crash after successful years.

But more and more the things I did became more important than the money (may the dollar counting fraction stay away please).

‘Help the people’ is it (and sometimes the animals) – and I ‘feel something so right doing the wrong thing’ (Musikeinspieler: One Republic). ‘We’re not counting money we are counting stars.’ (Musikeinspieler: s.o.). I love to see the sparkle in your eyes – than it feels right for you – than it is real. For me as well. I am breaking many rules, I know – but always with the aim to make things easier for us.

But beware: Everybody who will draw money , fame and glory out of my creations (and there are lots of) without informing me (or already did) – and I know there are some – be sure that I will get back to you to get what is mine.

Early morning start (7 am! For me as a late riser… ts, ts. But too late to join the guided tour in the morning in Marfa), bringing Adrian’s son to school first and then heading towards Marfa in 3 hours. For me, a very exciting landscape: the Plains or/ and desert (not easy to differentiate), mountains, different kind of plants (again: not easy to tell: palm tree or cactus…) and as it is springtime: flowers everywhere. Did not expect that – from blooming little flowers by the wayside to cactus flowers in the desert. Uh, gosh, they just did not let me off the leash there … perhaps because of the snakes or the barbwire?

And I saw deer! Cows … no horses yet.
Even the mountains are very different in their appearance.
Quick stop at a service station; for the first time in my life I saw a real sheriff – although I did not really recognize him without wearing his uniform.
Border Control! Lucky that Almut carried her and my passport and the customs formula – they checked it then and Thomas’ ID. Uff … Thomas was sweating.
And we nearly missed the famous Prada Store by Elmgreen and Dragset – this is so absurd, in the middle of nowhere. Absurd but exactly this is the reason why this work is so appealing. A Prada Saloon… 😉

Finally we made it then (thank you Adrian for driving all the way; and: finally a few horses) and stopped at the Chinati foundation. Actually, there are two foundations in Chinati fighting for the right to be THE foundation connected to Donald Judd. Little shopping there and then lunchtime in the restaurant ‚Capri‘ (horrible pricing, but good, nice environment to hang out, had the chance to meet and greet many dogs  (do not miss the garden)). We, the dogs, running around, locals and tourists mixed …

2.30 pm the day tour continued with us, starting with the 6 old military barracks (from World War 2!), now containing Dan Flavin’s work only – neon works, of course. For that reason alone, the contrast between old military usage and new setting with art works is outstanding – in this area, in the desert.
The guide gave us our own time to have a walk through the buildings (we were 7 people all together – so easy to manage). Although I know the works of Flavin and saw many of them before – this was really different: all the barracks are in U-format and the Flavin works are placed at the end of the two side wings coming from the open end.

My impressions were (as far as I can remember it – even a dog’s ‘human brain’ has its limits):
Barack 1: Net (red/ green) I saw nets on the wall after having looked at the pieces))
Barack 2:  Headache (or: neon green is not for me; again red/ green but different than in B1)
Barack 3: Surprise 1 (blue + yellow = pink; blue + pink = purple)
Barack 4: Painting 1 (same as B3 but the 2 pieces in each wing leaning against each other and gave me the impression that they are paintings)
Barack 5: Surprise 2 (purple green; PINK, PURPLE; soft&mild, very subtle)
Barack 6: Painting 2 (colors? but: like paintings the neons were leaning against each other plus: refections on the windows inside and to be seen also from the outside

3 other buildings (old cantinas and stable) (sorry, cannot remember the artists…except Roni Horn) but most impressive to me were the text works. And – obviously pre-minded – the text work with the word ‚green‘ in lines and columns was the strongest – I could even see the strong lines. And Roni Horn referred to the mining history of the area with her heavy but decent conical copper sculptures on the floor.

The Oldenburg sculpture is odd – not really good in my eyes.

Last things we saw at the foundation were the 2 x 50 Judd pieces – just amazing – even more when you are looking at them with the sun.

In town then  – the PAISANO HOTEL: Wow! With beautiful little shops! The hotel where scenes of ‚Giants‘ were shooted, a court building (really big), old cinemas/ theaters, shops (even a barber shop ;-)), then – as always – again a coffee stop for TT and all of us). I am always happy to have some water in this hot environment.

And back again – with a double rainbow behind us (they say that there are hidden treasures where the rainbow touches the ground…); I’ll be back – as an artist and/ or trail rider dog (Texas Mountain Trail…).

P.S.: Mind the time change in Marfa!

have been visiting the AT&T Stadium // Dallas Cowboys Stadium this morning. Really huge (80,000 visitors; can be compared to our Olympic Stadium in Berlin).
Ha, and Lisa (surprise!) was guiding us there together with the tall Phil. One more the educational, the other one the story teller. Very cute combination.
Impressing stadium. Ah, got a song: Step it up,

lounges and suites everywhere, Art !!! (what has been the reason to be there), dressing rooms … every cheerleader has her own twitter account. And both – dressing rooms for players and cheerleaders have the same size and furniture!
But: the stadium itself is so impressing … big big big. The screen in the round – oh my gosh …
Texas Stars everywhere – even the gully covers are stars, THE center carpet and, and, and … I have been so deeply impressed that I appeared unnaturally shy and respectful. And I was asking myself: where are the horses and the cowboys? Ah, football, OK, missed that, sorry.
Do not forget the shop at the end of your tour – only had a quick sneak but I am sure it is worth it to buy some branded *star* presents.

After a busy week at the art fair and the 11 (!) hours in the plane to Dallas in my box this has been another big event for me that made the journey worth it. (I did not know at that time that Almut and Thomas would take me on a plane again – to El Paso with me, grrr.)

There are a lot of strikes here in Germany going on at the moment. Still the Deutsche Bahn Union is temporarily on strike, Lufthansa pilots … but now also the teachers are on strike in several Bundesländer. And here in Berlin the Union for Education and Sciences (GEW) and the Services Union Verdi initiated a strike on the 11th and 12th of march. Also the Industrial Union Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt (IG BAU) and the Police Union (GdP) will join – in Berlin AND Brandenburg.

The Angestellte of the Kitas, universities, offices and authorities fight for „Das öffentliche Leben gibt es nicht zum Nulltarif.“ (Doreen Siebernick, Landesvorsitzende der GEW).

More money, for about 2,8 mil staff, officers and pensioners.

Strike as the last mean to push things forward – a simple demonstration seems to be not enough any more.

Hey, and have you ever been a teacher, policeman or farmer? Do you know about their hard work? (song hard work) „Come on, everybody is working hard for the money.“ Well OK, but some people work ‚harderer‘ as they have to do not well-balanced physical and brain work at the same time – and get exhausted …

Back in time, march, Märzrevolution … there are interesting parallels …

And I know there will be dog demonstrations as well: they do not want us runnning around the North Beach of the Schlachtensee anymore. One of our last hang outs …

another important historic landmark is entering the stage. 130 years ago – when Bismarck invited all the nations (of course only all the nations he was friends with) to the Kongo Conference to negotiate free trading at the banks of Kongo and Niger. Kind of a historic TTIP. BUT: even slaves were traded. And this was bad… Very bad for many countries – even continents (Africa!). And: the conference took place where? Berlin… eieiei. Ah, I love this historical place – even as a dog you cannot deny it.

Do not mix this conference up with the Berliner Kongress (Berlin again). 1887 a secret neutral treaty (auch Neutralitätsabkommen/ Rückversicherungsvertrag genannt) had been finalized between the German Empire and Russia to create a new European Peace Order in South East Europe. It took quite a time from 1883 on.

Don’t we have a kind of the same situation now, in a smaller version? With Greece emerging, carrying new political ideas along? But this time it is Europe negotiating. And they do not have as much time as in the 19th century.

Come on now,  let’s make it better this time. Better than Bismarck did.

Have been to the stud presentation with Almut in the Main and County Stud Neustadt/ Dosse on saturday. Never been there before but always have been curious as I am interested in horses and always saw the signage at the autobahn.

We were late, yes, Almut’s fault, as she did not listen to her navigation system respectively did not follow her nose nore my barking… But, nevertheless, we got a good impression and feeling for the horses presented. In the saddle about 1/3 women, 2/3 men, and we could see the differences between the horses. Appreciated that they were not bound to the edge the animals, from ‚calm‘ to ‚pepper‘  (like Quaterback’s Junior) – different temperaments and characters, colors … ah, like us.

And the promising newcomers – very impressive: dancers, curious ones, a little bit wild ones … oh, I really would have loved to jump into the arena and play with them right away! Almut just was able to prevent me from doing so …

The hall and presentation style – room for improvement. But you have to keep in mind that this stud is really a historic place (although the hall is newer).

I made some notes regarding some of the horses – they impressed me right away because of a specific attitude they had (I would say they showed their character in front of the public). Would be interesting to follow up and see how they develop …
And if a classic development in dressage or jumping is really their thing.

(And some or one of them – wow, (they) could really be MY horse …)