Carpet art

D came over and suggested a Stasi Museum excursion.
"Why not".

Well for one, it's difficult to find if you do not know what you are looking for. It's situated in 'Haus 1' within a complex of unremarkable high rises in Lichtenberg; a complete Stasi Village, which apparently once had a total staff of 25,000. One of the buildings, which is currently concealed by scaffold covered in heavy duty plastic sheeting, looks like it has bronze mirrored windows similar to those in the former Palast der Republik. If this hadn't been under wraps we would have identified the block immediately as former GDR and therefore close to, if not the, destination. There are no street signs for the Stasi Museum.

I went into Morgen Rot, a vegetarian bar near the studio. I was searching for 'the longest latte' that J had told me were the pinnacle of artist residencies. Instead I found a rooibos. They were playing Grace Jones' new album and it was the first time I heard it right through. I thought about the guy who runs the rehearsal studios across the road from my place in London and how chuffed he was telling me he was now playing bass in her band. This two degrees of separation prompted me to read a Sunday newspaper interview with her. She said how disgusted she was with the current permission seeking culture in New York, compared to it's hedonistic heyday in the late 70's and 80's.

"But in saying that, you should just do what you want to do".
At a lecture last night at e-flux, which is the site of the former united nations plaza the speaker discussed possibilities for the 'agency of contemporary art' using three ideas, 'pandemonium', 'amusement' and 'secrecy'. There was no conclusion. I imagined Z spitting out a retort about the ineffectual maxims of liberalism and thought I must finish that book of his that I bought before coming here.