Repetition Island

LW: How many times have you been to the Island?

BM: I have come everyday.

LW: And how would you describe the evolution of the project over the week?

BM: I didn’t come at the same time every day so I didn’t feel the same. But I like this idea of repetition. I like this idea of coming back – like an obligation or a necessity. I do believe in Marcel Duchamp’s definition of a works of art. He said that an art piece is like a rendez-vous, be careful not to miss it. SO in a way this follows Duchamp’s expectation.

LW: DO you think that Repetition Island had been a successful rendez-vous?

BM: It depend what you mean by successful. Yes, I guess it is but it has to be for the artists. I wanted to do something as an experiment for the artists. My first target was to build something for the artists. To build maybe an island where they want to join and be together. Because I think that art needs a place to experiment and test. I like the fact that the artists can repeat and develop together. But is has to remain experimental.

LW: SO this double entender of the word repetition in French – repetition and rehearsal.

BM: Let’s say that Rai’s idea is very clever. From the beginning he said to me that such a place was a little bit like a picnic and he sent me an image of Dejeuner Sur l’Herbe. I like the fact that he identified this place as an island, because it is. It became the island of repetition. I think that it works because it is very intensive and takes place in a very short time. It would be different if we extended it. There has to be the feeling of an achievement.

LW: I am sad that this is the last day. Tomorrow there is going to be a hole.

BM: I am sad too. But when we talked he never asked me to extend it.

LW: Because it is an isolated incident?

BM: It’s an incident. Isolated ….. it’s and isle.

LW: An isle-solated incident.

BM: Yes. I believe that artists today have to deal with time, duration and repetition. And I like the fact that it works like a display. It is extremely efficient. There are many points of view, vanishing points. It gives island in the island.

LW: It is interesting to see how people are framed by the instillation.

BM: It is a little like being inside and outside - in two positions. There is a wonderful text by an American writer named Richard Valence about the place of the spectator in Manet’s work. This first session is definitely related to the place of the spectator. Where are we? From where do we speak?

LW: We as artists or we as audience?

BM: Where is the limit? Where is the cut? What Rai did was the he wrote into the session some very young artists and quite young students too. The idea was to trigger things into another dimension. And it works. I do think that he did a great job.

LW: I agree

BM: But it is sad that we are talking about it in the past tense.

LW: There are still a few hours left.