Well, I finally feel like I can live again.
Since my arrival back from Paris my whole life has been focused on the installation and finally last night the hard work paid off and the reception by the Munich Art Community seemed very positive.
Everyone spoke of their desire to return again to see the grass growing in the dress and were quite fascinated by the farming process of my photos of the palm oil plantation in Parrita.
The responses ranged from many of the aspects that I hoped the viewing community would come up with such as seeing the form of the Green Dress as a pyramid, or perhaps a bed, only one mentioned a tent, which is a form I would like to get away from, But many also saw it as a pregnant woman, which is a good one to see. I also really appreciated how those who knew the space from before really saw it as transformed by how I covered up the heavy central column and made the space seem much lighter than before even though the dress takes up more than 3/4 of the space.
Of course they came up with many of the questions of how does it all work, how to take care of the work, how it could be bought and installed in a collection but all in all they just really liked the work. The best part was that a lot of curators from many of the local contemporary art institutions came to see the show and expressed how much they liked it as well, so let us hope that they wish to invite me back in the future for even bigger shows here in Munich and beyond.
But for now I am just happy to have a life again. After the opening which lasted from 6 to 10:30 we then went out for dinner, when we entered the restaurant the soccer match between Portugal and England was still going on, they said that the time was almost up and that it would end soon, well it turned out to be a classic European experience for me for not only did the game go into overtime with a 1-1 tie playing an extra 20 minutes, but they then had to have a shoot out where it is just one player kicking against the goalie, oh man it was excruciatingly exciting. I became so absorbed that one of the members of our party was wondering if I was English since I seemed to be watching so intently. It was interesting to see Beckem (sorry for the spelling if it is wrong) the one player I know of since he is so popular having married one of the Spice girls, he actually missed his goalie shot. Anyway Portugal finally won and we were able to finish our celebration in peace. \\
Poor Dina, I think she is actually more exhausted than I am, today all she could say was “ooof” so we claimed it an “ooof” day.
But I found it quiet relaxing finally with waking up late, drinking my tea, doing yoga, casually getting to the gallery to work a bit with Dina cleaning up, then meeting a fellow american for lunch with her two children that I met through my current subletter, to walking to a local English book store to buy a map of Roma and I hate to admit it another Ann Rice book, I finished reading Casanova’s 4th book and must wait till I return to get the next 2 from Maiken. while at the book store I ran into a friend of Dina’s and I joined her for a lunch on a terrace with a tea, then I decided I would try and get a massage by just going to the spa and was able to get a last minute one which just felt great though I know I need much more work than just 40 minutes to get me back into shape, then some emails, phone calls, a quiet dinner in a bier garten with no soccer since this place was probably one of the only one’s in Munich not showing the games on TV. They are only in a hotel.
Then here I am writing to you. So I hope tomorrow is sunny so I can take a trip south to a lake and just relax outside for a bit.
Once the grass has grown a bit (the little white roots are beginning to pop out) I plan to send you some more pictures.
Until then enjoy and all my best,
Michele
