Hans-Ulrich Obrist
Hans-Ulrich Obrist
Hans-Ulrich Obristis an art curator, critic and historian of art. He is artistic director at the Serpentine Galleries, London. Obrist is the author of The Interview Project, an extensive ongoing project of interviews. He is also co-editor of the Cahiers d'art revue...
NationalitySwiss
ProfessionCritic
CountrySwitzerland
inspired met realized recorded remembered time vaguely
I met Gerhard Richter and Alighiero Boetti when I was a teenager, and I was really inspired by them. When Boetti died, I realized I only vaguely remembered so many things he told me. It was such a pity. Had I only recorded his voice, he would still be with me, and I could listen to it from time to time.
art follows matter nor
Making art is not the matter of a moment, and nor is making an exhibition; curating follows art.
carry knowledge middle monastery monks next
I would go from one city to the next, inspired by the monks in the Middle Ages, who would carry knowledge from one monastery to the next monastery.
cases intense ongoing
I have many intense friendships with artists. I don't mean we have intense one-day conversations but ongoing conversations that last in some cases for years.
entire essential life projects work
For me, it's always been very essential to work on projects that one can work on almost for their entire life.
I always have coffee and porridge for breakfast.
works
The 21st-century curator works in a supremely globalised reality.
centre model numerous surrounded
Most cities have a centre surrounded by suburbs, but London has numerous centres: it's the model of a twenty-first century metropolis.
knew quite
It's quite an obscure notion for a kid, no? To want to be a curator. But even then, I knew that I would do this.
realise
Many artists have not been able to realise their fondest projects. My role is to help them.
favourite
One of my favourite exhibitions is called 'Do It,' which I co-curated with the artists Christian Boltanski and Bertrand Lavier 21 years ago.
art life mix utility
The non-utility of my kitchen could be transformed into its utility for art. To do a show there would mix art and life, naturally.
deeper work
There is nothing deeper than to work for a year with the same artist.
art clearly happen power
To be honest, I think, for me, the power is always with art. The art world clearly couldn't happen without art.