Rested, excessive journeying
Since I was so knackered yesterday I took an early night, and woke up feeling much better today. We were divided up into the groups we will working in for the rest of project; I am in a group with Julien and Kamila from the DAI, and Aşkın from Diyarbakir. I thought that it was a bit strange and disappointing that there were not some of our guests from Taiwan and Sudan with us, but these things have been decided for us.
We spent the morning visiting the site once again, and trying to think of something meaningful to do with it. This was not easy, and we were not so much further forward by the afternoon.
For reasons which I can only speculate about, it had been decided that the whole group should travel to Amsterdam for the evening, since there was a lecture on the subject of “Why art?” being given in the Stadsschouwburg on the Leidseplein. This struck me as a totally crazy and unnecessary trip, especially for our guests who are only in the country for a limited time. In any case our attendance was requested, in fact required.
I really really did not feel like sitting in a bus for three hours (not to mention the return journey), and since I have an OV-kaart I am able to travel on the train for free. It may have been a bit anti-social, but I decided to make my own way to Amsterdam; this was much more pleasant, and allowed me to get some work done in the train.
The lecture was interesting enough, although probably not work the trip. The German Kunstler ohne Werk (Artist without work) Bazon Brock began with a rather formal and, honestly said, repetitive lecture, followed by a question-answer-question session with the English artist/director/etc. Tim Etchells (and a pal of his whose name I forgot to write down).
All very nice, but at the end I had to dash off with the tram if I was to catch the last train back to Enschede. This I succeeded in doing, but there unfortunately developed a fault in the train such that I and many others on board were not able to make the necessary connection at Amersfoort. The NS (Dutch Railways) were very accomodating, however, and after arranging a special train to Deventer paid for taxis onwards to Enschede. This turned out for the best, as it happened, since I ended up back at the campus earlier than I probably would have done otherwise. Still very late though, and the poor souls in the bus would make it home even later.
