04.10 Torino - meeting Josep Maria Martin. last and first time we met him in Madrid, at ARCO where we went art-scouting and invited him to do a project for BIG. he comes to meet the town, Judith, us and the possibilities. he finds a bar we didn't know yet > PARIS - TEXAS, where he wants to do his project…working with prostitutes maybe, their problems maybe, this bar maybe… "can we talk to the artistic director please?" "Iwan, its for you!" Iwan likes Josep and Josep likes Iwan! he's very open to the idea of changing/aranging his bar into a one-month- place where a "big problem" gets artistically translated and communicated. Josep tells us about an incredible story of the crocodile tamer he met in barcelona. they made/make a project together. 05.10 we drive to Switzerland, because Teresa's mother Teri turns 62! surprise, surprise! good moment to meet all the families! and to visit some friends. middle of europe! everytime we come here space seems to be more crowded of "movements". its like a huge fashion bobbin. forms follows marketing. we get an email from Key Portilla Kuwamura, the one who visited us in Casqueiro a day before we left. he confirms the invitation from ARCO- madrid to a discussion panel > the dilemma of the exhibiting space, february in Madrid again, good. we want to talk about the spaces we would like to see and enter, and tried to open up. or shall we talk about the first phone call we ever had? do you remember the first phonecall you ever had? the "new space for art" is the space between people. relations. the relational space awaits architecture… while we party for Teris happy new year, Michael Blume arrives in cittadellarte. we are looking forward to meet him! who is this guy who did WONDERING MARXWARDS ?? there was this bunch of videos from the Rijksacademy… Michael comes for a week-visit! we see some of his videoworks. the a.i.r. and us enjoy his visit a lot - good feedbacks/questions - and good that his background isn't art, but history and language. we - calc - propose to M.B. to do a project together…one day…we'll be in touch anyway, because M.B. also will do a project for BIG >> the maze (working title) - watch out www.bigtorino.net and Turin in 2002! 11.10 we - Michelangelo, Teresa and omi - meet Gi Ferraris, BIG's architect, in Turin to play with the projects and spaces. Cavalarizza - why not enlarge these galleries, like a huge stage, and leaving an arena in the middle? not cutting the way from the entrance to the horizon, opening an oval forum which leads into the platform. and leaving this space for 6 or more very active, dialogical positions. yes, lets draw that! we should use simple stage-construction- systems and leave it all visible. it should be workstage, not showstage. meetstage, not seestage. 12.10 Lyn Lowenstein from protoacademy who worked last year with us and the a.i.r.2000 arrives to citta from Edinburgh. she'll also stay a week! tomorrow we want to do a party, but we can't wait - lets have a rehersal party tonight! in some days another 9 protoacademists will arrive. then we will have another big dance night. lets practice a lot! the rehersal was so strong and long that the real party becomes a tired one. we dance, but more like the late Bukowskies. Michael Blum is going back home to amsterdam. but his shadow keeps on swinging on citta's dancefloor. 15.10 Pipi Lotti calls, she has an opening in the Castello di Rivoli in Turin. FORM FOLLOWS FICTION…doesn't sound to inviting, but we are invited by Pipi, not by the museums copywriter - lets go! Pipi is superpregnant! Charlie, Lyn, Teresa and me are going. Pipi is really the double! she looks great! Michelangelo and Maria are showing up too, fine! o, that's the VIP opening, we didn't know that, 90% are dressed like Jonny Cash, serious evening. art is boring. but the dinner is fine! about 15 waiters (no one younger than 60!) enter and move synchronized, while they serve.