"The work is a situation in which a person comes to occupy a role."
This quote by Tino Sehgal suggests that art, specifically his own, is not about creating physical objects, but rather it's about creating situations where people interact and assume roles. In these situations, the participants become integral elements of the artwork itself, living out their assigned roles in a way that can evoke emotions, ideas, or experiences in viewers. The work, therefore, is a stage set for human interaction and role-playing, inviting us to reflect on our own identities and social dynamics within these contexts.
"Art should be something that gets you out of what you already know."
This quote by Tino Sehgal emphasizes the transformative power of art. He suggests that good art transcends our familiar experiences, prompting us to move beyond our comfort zones and gain new perspectives. By engaging with such art, we can challenge ourselves cognitively, emotionally, or otherwise, fostering personal growth and expanding our understanding of the world around us.
"Everyone who experiences this piece is an artist."
This quote emphasizes that the act of experiencing art, not just creating it, makes one an artist. Tino Sehgal suggests that the audience plays a crucial role in shaping the artwork through their active engagement, thereby implying they too are artists. In essence, he's advocating for a more inclusive understanding of art and creativity.
"I want art to be alive and active, and not just something you look at."
This quote by Tino Sehgal emphasizes the desire for art to be more than a static, passive experience. Instead, he envisions art as an interactive, dynamic, and even engaging event where viewers are active participants rather than mere observers. Sehgal's idea is that art should not only stimulate thought and emotion but also inspire action or interaction from the viewer, making it a living, breathing entity that evolves over time with each encounter.
"If you can't act without a script, you should probably get another job."
This quote by Tino Sehgal emphasizes the importance of autonomy and self-reliance in one's work or profession. He suggests that if an individual cannot perform their duties or tasks independently, using their own initiative and creativity, they might need to reconsider their chosen field. The 'script' here symbolizes structured instructions or guidelines, suggesting a lack of originality or adaptability when it comes to problem-solving and decision-making without explicit directions. Sehgal seems to advocate for workers who can think critically, innovate, and act effectively in unpredictable situations, demonstrating a high level of professional competence and versatility.
As a culture or a civilisation, we are a bit juvenile; it's like 'Oh, I have all this power, whoa, this is so cool, I can transform the earth and I can produce all this wealth. But we're blinded by our success in a naive way. There's more to life, actually, and I think the sustainability issue is also helpful in reminding us about that.
- Tino Sehgal
One often forgets that even if art is a very successful field in contemporary culture, there are still a lot of people alienated by it. Even if people don't fully understand where my work is coming from, at least there's somebody who looks kind of sane standing in front of you and politely engaging with you. People react.
- Tino Sehgal
Because of this high status of the object in our culture, something has to be a thing. Live efforts are almost marginal. I think dance, for example, is just as much a thing, and I want for it to have the same status. I don't want it to be the thing that comes in the evening and is, like, the happy music.
- Tino Sehgal
We package everything as a product so we can derive income from it. Then we can occupy ourselves with higher-order psychological lifestyle things. This is a very new issue. Money still matters, but other factors have joined the status game - like how interesting, how meaningful your work is.
- Tino Sehgal
My father had to flee from what is today Pakistan when he was a child, and he became a manager at IBM, and any item of consumption he would acquire was a direct measurement of his success in life. But that same equation wasn't going to work for me - I was quite clear about that in my early teens.
- Tino Sehgal
Our culture is hung up on and overemphasises what can be derived from material objects. I think this is something quite new, over the past 200 or 300 years - that life has become about accumulating material wealth. The 21st century is not about accumulating material wealth like the 20th century. It's already eroding.
- Tino Sehgal
On a very, very basic level, I'm definitely pro market because with the market comes the idea of the individual and the idea of specialisation, and I personally like being an individual and choosing my interactions. I don't see culture moving away from that, like back to a farming society. You couldn't do that with the amount of people we have.
- Tino Sehgal
As we get better at things, we need less people to produce the things we really need, but what do we do with the rest of the people? They have to be doing something, too, to buy from those few which are doing the really basic stuff, and so that's why we need to be continually producing new stuff.
- Tino Sehgal
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