Thursday, 30
My first years in Switzerland people asked me: Maren, what are you doing here in tweedy Switzerland. While it wasn't a deliberate choice I was relieved having left Germany. Swiss people were somehow more easygoing, not war-disabled like the Germans, who i had experienced as emotionally kinky, pariahs within Europe (Boche, Mof, Ftitz, Kraut and so on). Also Swiss people do have their stereotypes, for example Germans talk too much and just nodd their heads when listening to superiors. Slaves to authority.
Having affairs in Switzerland happens among the family. As the population is not too big but neat, everyone is somehow connected to everyone. Adultery is regarded as being courteous. It happens - though you better use allegories than calling a spade a spade when you feel the urge of proclaiming.

Wednesday, 29
In 1990, MALOLA had an exhibition including a tent: strand. Please note a detail on a picture related to fickstück (all texts were from music pieces. The titel strand derived from their book project Liederbuch für Standpartys und Nihilisten); the used condom on the bedside cabinet refers to the then still deadly disease aids and means as much as - take care.
At Westwerk's anniversary exhibition Betreff 28 (2013) you find another replica.

Tuesday, 28
heard of Tracy Emin the first time today. it seems that i like her. when i saw her tent with the names of her lovers i thought of an idea i had when i was at artschool. even told a friend (male, not a lover, but one who wanted me in bed) about. i had the idea to line up all boyfriends, standing naked in front of a wall (i had the wall of my squatted room of a villa in my head) and then photographing them. my friend said: do it. but i didn't. i don't know if i had been too shy or too lazy. probably both. too lazy to ask the boys to depants themselves. and that let a primary school incident come to my mind: on my way home two boys, one holding my right, the other my left arm, pulled down my underpants. Very, very long time ago. I never thought i would think of again. and another association: my best friend and me, one day, we sat at the kitchentable and wrote down the names of every man we had slept with to find out who had done with more. (i don't remember who won; we had almost the same amount).

Two incidents connected to new technology media that are worth to talk about:
First: My mobile provider changed their name from -Orange- to -Salt-. What I find particular about is how company's pick a name with view to improving their business on behalf of daily life goods that belong to everyone, but place them as if they were the owner of that common property.
Second: My domain provider has sent an email where they inform that in near future Google will depreciate websites that aren't optimised for mobiles. In other words if you want your website to be well ranked, it must be ‘mobile-friendly. Sorry, Google, apart from that I don't care how you rank MALOLA - our page is not about statistics and ratings - would you pay for a mobile friendly version, a 'must have' i cannot afford?

Sunday, 26
During my lunch break have been at Kunsthalle Basel. The exhibiting artist Vincent Meissen presents works of the Congolese artist Thela Tendu, which were shown in Europe in the 1930s and found their home in the hands of a colonial administrator, who finally donated them to the Royal Library in 1959. What I've further extracted from the exhibitiontext is that by adding his installations called "constructivist scenario" Meissen has built a prerequisite in order to make colonial conditions perceivable. Why that? Isn't it more important to know about the artist and his works than getting insight into the colonial way of thinking, reflecting the back then undervalued work of an African artist. Instead of his very elaborate installations that indeed dominate the exhibition I'd rather needed insight into the artist's life. However, somehow Tendu's point of view conscious of the European's confining gaze is noticeable namely by staying a passive part and being upstaged by an artist (obviously still alive) who not at all is a curator.

Saturday, 25
by now haven't had time for Tarantino, but the right time will come to watch his movie. i don't remember the plot, just that i liked it and that it is somehow a thriller, kinda crime story, but not brutal as pulp fiction, reservoir dogs or kill bill.

Thursday, 23
In the evening a kinda sweet one (despite some very violent scenes) compared to the morning fast food. Lock Up starring Sylvester Stallone. And another recorded one I look forward to watching is Jackie Brown, once again.

After, for amusement, watching The English Teacher, a movie about a spinster who once gets fucked by a former student followed by a dramatically intended soap story. A lot of old fashioned stereotypes that just touch the surface and therefore are pure catharsis. Yesterday, in favourite of Champions League Madrid Derby I postponed the melodrama to be finished today. Light fare for breakfast... (easy to digest)... the longer I think about the worse, could be a favourite of tea party members.

Wednesday, 22
3sat Kulturzeit: #regretting motherhood
On internet panels women confess how they suffer from being mothers. Expressing not being happy having children around is still a taboo. Among friends and family mothers are not able to talk openly about how annyoing their daily life can be (on internet they stay anonymous). "It is not that they don't love their kids" - how can a mother do not love her child? An even stronger taboo, something compared to murder. - People presume that being a mother strictly makes happy, not a question. Because of her biological premise people believe women desperately aspire having children; being a mother is the general idea of a woman's life. You see, then it happens that women get children because of society's demands and as a result they are unable to cope with.
Me, I don't have children and there was a time that I felt substandard because of being childless. The problem is that mothers hide their problems in front of other women to maintain their authority. Moreover, they often marginalise those who cannot bring the effort of providing everything made by their own hands - baking, cooking or knitting, a woman must work hard or has to be rich enough to let others working hard for her. You see, they even mess around each other. All because to make themselves feel better contrary to their self-perception: they always fail and never get approval of their 24/7 work. Women should respect themselves, support each other and omit the so-called cat fight.

Sunday, 19
i prefer irrationality to diligence. however, in daily life this one is difficult to live. finally, reason is leading me home, pulls me to her side whispering sweet words of dos and don'ts into my ears; be nice and kind and good and affable. something that has worried me a lot since the time i could think independently: that i lose time for doing things i don't want to do but i am forced to. and i do them because of fear, or lets say a supervisory voice (the one that handcuffs fear for a certain time) then heads me to a save, but uninspiring track.

Wednesday,15
Roofs n Walls (Red Door)

Monday, 13
Enjoying last days of our analog telly watching movies in bed: first Schlöndorff's monument Die Blechtrommel (1979) extraordinarily broadcasted because of Günther Grass' death. After Limitless (2011), a thriller about an intelligence boosting drug. Same topic like Besson's Lucy, but with a so-called happy end in sense of leading their sophistiated life as long as the drug is provided.

Saturday, 11
Skimming my diary I realise people who envy me or just oppose me as someone they don't need in their life will find a lot of badly written blogs - me, when I wrote them took them seriously, but I know out there are killers. i've experienced that often. Especially at universities or any kind of hierarchically organised institution or event. Strong fighters out there who never leave an unforgivable mistake unseen and make you go bright and red of shame on your knees praying for acceptamce. To avoid that kind of disgrace I learned to hide behind invisibility. Omitting everything chintzy, looking upright and honest, I can pass everywhere - when you meet people you have never met before, it is not a question of honouring each other, but to suss out if a shared future could be of significance. For example you just talk, communicate ideas, though leave open what to follow, or you make more concrete statements like taking pictures cherishing your peer, exchanging mobile numbers, addresses and social media details. I don't get a lot of feedback for my blog. It appears to me that people prefer not to mention it, either because they don't want to disturb and say something wrong. Or they don't know what to make out of it. Actually, I am happy when they/you enjoy visiting it. That's all.

Thursday, 9
Article by Belinda Bozzoli on how universities struggle for their quality.

Wednesday, 8
Since some weeks every here and then we have been receiving a notification sent by our tv provider: analog television will be disabled on the 21st of April. Indeed, we still have a Sony Trinitron telly, which was the most modern you could get end of ninetees, in our bedroom. Um, well, they decide at what time my product bought for a lot money is no more useful even when it is not broken. Moreover, on their large postcards they propose we should contact them at their shop and buy a new product that is digital apt. Sounds almost like emotional blackmail. 'We think you probably will be badly sad when your telly stops working at that very Stichtag (deadline). Why don't come and visit us as soon as possible, so we can make you happy before it's too late.' The problem is, they first make me unhappy in order to be sure that I'll need them to become happy again. And, as though as nothing had happened, at the end of the day my expenses imperceptibly will bulge their pockets. No, no, no, their bargain will not be mine, but a peaceful bedroom without tv.

Tuesday, 7
Okwui Enwezor about the current state of things in respect of Biennale:
"That is why there is the notion of residue. It is one way of reflecting and thinking about the present. The phrase is essential for one to think historically in the present. What does that mean? It means that we need to step back and look at the past to be able to look into the future, and not the other way around. I'm not interested in a retrospective view.
I'm not so sure that my exhibition has to summarize what is currently going on, but I want my exhibition to participate in the description of what is going on. "
full interview

Monday, 6
Interesting. You see how time changes. When I was young, people used to say: Das Leben ist kein Wunschkonzert what means as much as life is hard and demanding. Life hurts. You cannot chose between several options, but have to take it like it comes. It is not a concert, but work always. Today, sitting in Regionalzug at Freiburg main station waiting for the train to move I overlook an advertisement saying: Doch - das Leben ist ein Wunschkonzert. The original saying has been transformed to affirmation. The negative has been removed to convey something joyful. Yes, life is a concert, a picnic with a bowl full of cherries. Take it easy, make yourself at home. The wagging finger pointing always straving to scathe and to fetter your vital energy behind turbid dungeon walls has been cut in favour of a liberty for everybody's very own life script.

Thursday, 2
Typical Me
I am going for a talk on architecture namely held by Kunlé Adeyemi at Vitra Museum in Weil am Rhein/Germany. Normally everywhere I go I take my bike, but this time it is raining roughly and I decide for bus 55. Boo, this bus needs boringly long and after all I leave the bus one station too early. At the display has been written - Vitra - bus stops. But when I go out I find myself in wildness. I am running through garden variety next to the the street where no walkway is provided. Passing cars splashing water oust me more and more into greener grass. Arriving at the museum my feet are slippy and my coat stinks of rain moisture. At least I find a book by Teju Cole, Every Day is for the Thief (€ 11.99), at the shop. A reparation. As there is not much time left I browse -Making Africa- and then head for the Business Lounge where the lecture is held. Admittedly, that one is nice, most comfortable armchairs where I immediately sink in. To capture the lecture I snap his powerpoint slides. But, as it is a typical me day, my camera's soonly finished battery brings my venture to a sudden halt and I necessarily have to change to traditional pen and notepad. I didn't even take a picture of Professor Adeyemi. Nevertheless, to learn about his water projects is a real treat. On my way back to Basel the bus comes with a twenty minutes delay. Standing in the rain, again. Inside the bus i seat myself next to a radiator, free myself from my wet shoes and enjoy my book. Okay, no further inconveniences...