| I moved from America to Berlin, Germany on June 6, 1991. I was returned to New York City on October 7th, 1997 as the Berlin Representative for the PS 1 International Studio Program, courtesy of the Berlin Cultural Council. They sent me back, so to say, and I'm hoping it's not terribly naïve to regard this as an opportunity rather than an insult. Tourguide? is the result of that year's thinking about how to reenter America, and how to reintegrate myself into this lifestyle. How to again become part of the country that I'd constantly been accused of, or applauded for, so perfectly representing during my stay in Germany. New York is great. All sorts of New York opportunities have opened themselves up to me. People to meet, places to shop, new clothes to wear. The place unfolds in a rampant display of hardware stores, social spectacles and 99¢ epiphanies. I was looking for a vehicle with which to maneuver through this. So, the work Tourguide? comes out of this desire to make something with and for people, while exploring the situation we are all in. To make the process of reintegration work for me, while simultaneously engaging others. To wind our way through this overwhelmnation, to infiltrate it. Tourguide? is both sculptural and performative, though I prefer to think of this and most of my work as being both introverted and extroverted. The introverted half features a workspace for execution of plans. To show accumulation. The extroverted half involves showing the product of this work in a "live" sense, and this is taking the form of a walking tour. It captures the more ephemeral "you had to be there" aspect of the work. It relies on hearsay, on chance, on luck. This process is being exhibited. Tourguide? is cumulative - each tour sets up the next and serves as a template for this entire project. It will incorporate additional information as it progresses. The entire organization becomes a tool with which to gain access. Beyond being art, the work steps towards entertainment, and seeks to combine my own personal agenda with that of a larger group. The participants of each tour are asked to contribute to its content, and to share responsibility for making the tour memorable. Each individual tour becomes something that only the participants have access to, and they can decide what to make of it. A "think on your feet" mentality is pushing Tourguide? - a desire to attain an artistic skill which is immediate and portable. To take steps to create the parameters in which this can happen, and to introduce variables such as people, events, misunderstandings, accidents, weather, mood, and leave the end product up to chance and good intentions. Thank you for your interest.
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