WALLY'S BLOG 2010
December 22
MAYA AND I
got married today.
November 1
THE PLAN
Not in order of priority:
1. Document the Wallywoods walls at Kulturhaus Weissensee before moving out on 12 November 2010.
2. Find a gallery and workshop space in Zurich. (Get the Guillotine-Throne soon as possible from Berlin.)
3. Find safe art storage in Berlin and/or get involved in another space, like Ken's, if it happens. (It seems Armin's Kranhalle project has died before Wallywoods in the Kulturhaus: the court-case is 19 November - I give the keys to Dr Schirmer on 12 November to cut losses.)
4. For the new gallery I will build with Maya, find partners among the Wallywoods and Paradox Berlin list of supported artists willing to contribute art and money towards rental of space.
5. Hold an exhibition soon as possible in Zurich.
6. Finish the catalog "Wallywoods in Weissensee". (Now halfway through selection from circa 10,000 photos. The A3 sized catalog may end up 1,000 colour pages.)
7. Update the website, starting with this and other stuff on a new Wally's Log page for 2010.
8. Marry Maya this year.
August 20
HALLO ZURICH CLUB OWNER
"I popped in this evening about a possible gig for "Mary and the Baby Cheeses". They are currently one of Berlin's most promising avand-gard rock bands who have already achieved cult status in good circles. They are among my most favored acts as events-organiser in Berlin over a busy and productive 10 years. Mary's links are below.
My own name is Paul Woods, aka 'Wally' of Gallery Wallywoods, an illegal club since 2004 (it is running in my absence until end of October). I've just moved to Zurich (where my fiancé lives) and am looking to book quality experimental performers of all types whilst I get a foot-hold in my new home town.
I am also looking for a space and partner(s) to open a gallery-club twinned with my project "Paradox Berlin" called "Paradox Zurich", where I will present top international artists and performers at reasonable prices..."
July 6
POSTED THIS ON SOME SILLY KÖRPERWELTEN FB FAN PAGE
Dear Sir. My name is Paradox Paul. They know me in Berlin perhaps as Mr Wallywoods, although I'm from London, where nobody knows me. Why should they. I invented a functioning Time Machine, an economy for artists, and now build guillotines, thrones and electric chairs out of pianos. I want to patent an idea; I want to patent Mr Body World himself, the guy with the hat. I want his dead body. Unpickled, unadulterated in any way. I want to build from his consenting remains an artwork in the form of a chair. (Chairs have been my thing for a decade. No particular reason). I wish to bend your body, Mr Hat, so it seats one person comfortably. Your very own Self, preserved as tidily as a fellow artist can arrange you. Bent, forever to a new duty. Spectacular!
And you know why you shall one day agree to my terms, don't you Mr Hat..?
March 25
DEATH PENALTY
"It has taken the human race its whole history to work out how to kill efficiently. Yet those countries which still impose the ultimate penalty use methods painful, unreliable, slow, archaic, barbaric.
The Guillotine was commisioned shortly before the French revolution to perform the most horrendous task imaginable with absolute efficiency. It remains, excluding death by drugs (administered properly), the most successful innovation of its genre.
I have begun producing a series of working execution contraptions, starting with a guillotine built from a piano. Other objects in consideration (I aim to build, or at least start this year, 12 works from at least 12 pianos) are hangmans gibbet, axe and block, sword, gun (gunsmith required capable of building a pistol from piano parts), cat-o'-nine-tails, heroin overdose, death by rats.
An amazing idea is developing from this occupation, begun in December 2009, and I wish here to persue a debate long overdue. It is a subject avoided like the plague by governments everywhere who feel they have the inherent right to dictate how an individual's life should be ended.
It occurs to me that, if I were sentenced to certain death, wherever that may be, under whichever circumstances, should it not be within my human rights to choose the method of despatch? Perhaps I have a hideous fear of the gas chamber or of being stoned to death - either would be quite understandable. Given the choice of VARIOUS INTERNATIONALLY AGREED OPTIONS, I may wish for a bullet in the head, to be hanged, or simply 'put to sleep'.
The answer to my question is unarguably YES.
Yet where is the discussion? Where lie the interests? And where are human rights groups on this?
(Whether the death penalty should be banned everywhere forever is not my point or even interest here - there always has been and will be plenty of dialogue taking place on this complicated human dilemma. My position is, as long as capital punishment is in practice, the methods employed should be strictly questioned.)"
Paradox Paul
Facebook
March 2010, Berlin
January 31
MANIFESTO ONE
"I believe democratic freedom includes the right to occupy a space, providing the occupancy harms no-one, nor harms the space itself, is used for positive ends, whilst paying all reasonable costs which arise, or no costs if no costs arise, and comes to an end when mutually suited.
Under these conditions, temporary-tenancy-politics ("Zwischennutzungs-politik") has nothing to do with squatting. Nor does it block or degrade future plans for the space in question. Rather, it is good ethical sense, good business sense, being useful as a counter-balance during economic hardships on all levels, is beneficial to all parties, whilst ensuring the upkeep and wellbeing of that space. A building's upkeep is best cared for through continuous occupancy.
If a temporary-tenancy ("Zwischennutzung") is undesirable or dangerous in any way, then it it undesirable or dangerous only to those holding power over that space, whether they understand the aforementioned principles or not, who feel at least the law is with them, fear displeasure of superiors who also, until this point, have not understood these principles, and/or for whom these principles come secondary to self-interest."
Paradox Paul
January 2010, Berlin
MANIFESTO TWO
"Paradox Berlin is a dynamic experiment in the art of making money through art - specifically in contemporary Berlin.
Of the many aspects, principles and related projects to be forwarded in these pages as they develop, the most important at the moment is the search for understanding and support of a fundamental concept called "Zwischennutzungs-politik"; i.e. the mutually beneficial 'usage' of a building or rooms (called here a 'space') by young business and kindrid initiatives which cannot yet afford the rental and/or running costs of the hundreds of thousands of empty spaces available through the commercial market or local councils. Apparently this is a common and agreeable phenomenon in Holland. In England right now, the idea is taking off in a big way (link). However, widespread acceptance of this innovative yet straightforward concept/movement/policy can only be possible as the artists and projects themselves get organised, get meeting, and get making suggestions to landlords good and evil across every city in a world in which empty spaces are generally kept empty to benefit the fraction of the population who prefer to sit in comfy homes with thousands of keys up their arses."
Paradox Berlin
January 2010, Berlin
MAYA AND I
got married today.
November 1
THE PLAN
Not in order of priority:
1. Document the Wallywoods walls at Kulturhaus Weissensee before moving out on 12 November 2010.
2. Find a gallery and workshop space in Zurich. (Get the Guillotine-Throne soon as possible from Berlin.)
3. Find safe art storage in Berlin and/or get involved in another space, like Ken's, if it happens. (It seems Armin's Kranhalle project has died before Wallywoods in the Kulturhaus: the court-case is 19 November - I give the keys to Dr Schirmer on 12 November to cut losses.)
4. For the new gallery I will build with Maya, find partners among the Wallywoods and Paradox Berlin list of supported artists willing to contribute art and money towards rental of space.
5. Hold an exhibition soon as possible in Zurich.
6. Finish the catalog "Wallywoods in Weissensee". (Now halfway through selection from circa 10,000 photos. The A3 sized catalog may end up 1,000 colour pages.)
7. Update the website, starting with this and other stuff on a new Wally's Log page for 2010.
8. Marry Maya this year.
August 20
HALLO ZURICH CLUB OWNER
"I popped in this evening about a possible gig for "Mary and the Baby Cheeses". They are currently one of Berlin's most promising avand-gard rock bands who have already achieved cult status in good circles. They are among my most favored acts as events-organiser in Berlin over a busy and productive 10 years. Mary's links are below.
My own name is Paul Woods, aka 'Wally' of Gallery Wallywoods, an illegal club since 2004 (it is running in my absence until end of October). I've just moved to Zurich (where my fiancé lives) and am looking to book quality experimental performers of all types whilst I get a foot-hold in my new home town.
I am also looking for a space and partner(s) to open a gallery-club twinned with my project "Paradox Berlin" called "Paradox Zurich", where I will present top international artists and performers at reasonable prices..."
July 6
POSTED THIS ON SOME SILLY KÖRPERWELTEN FB FAN PAGE
Dear Sir. My name is Paradox Paul. They know me in Berlin perhaps as Mr Wallywoods, although I'm from London, where nobody knows me. Why should they. I invented a functioning Time Machine, an economy for artists, and now build guillotines, thrones and electric chairs out of pianos. I want to patent an idea; I want to patent Mr Body World himself, the guy with the hat. I want his dead body. Unpickled, unadulterated in any way. I want to build from his consenting remains an artwork in the form of a chair. (Chairs have been my thing for a decade. No particular reason). I wish to bend your body, Mr Hat, so it seats one person comfortably. Your very own Self, preserved as tidily as a fellow artist can arrange you. Bent, forever to a new duty. Spectacular!
And you know why you shall one day agree to my terms, don't you Mr Hat..?
March 25
DEATH PENALTY
"It has taken the human race its whole history to work out how to kill efficiently. Yet those countries which still impose the ultimate penalty use methods painful, unreliable, slow, archaic, barbaric.
The Guillotine was commisioned shortly before the French revolution to perform the most horrendous task imaginable with absolute efficiency. It remains, excluding death by drugs (administered properly), the most successful innovation of its genre.
I have begun producing a series of working execution contraptions, starting with a guillotine built from a piano. Other objects in consideration (I aim to build, or at least start this year, 12 works from at least 12 pianos) are hangmans gibbet, axe and block, sword, gun (gunsmith required capable of building a pistol from piano parts), cat-o'-nine-tails, heroin overdose, death by rats.
An amazing idea is developing from this occupation, begun in December 2009, and I wish here to persue a debate long overdue. It is a subject avoided like the plague by governments everywhere who feel they have the inherent right to dictate how an individual's life should be ended.
It occurs to me that, if I were sentenced to certain death, wherever that may be, under whichever circumstances, should it not be within my human rights to choose the method of despatch? Perhaps I have a hideous fear of the gas chamber or of being stoned to death - either would be quite understandable. Given the choice of VARIOUS INTERNATIONALLY AGREED OPTIONS, I may wish for a bullet in the head, to be hanged, or simply 'put to sleep'.
The answer to my question is unarguably YES.
Yet where is the discussion? Where lie the interests? And where are human rights groups on this?
(Whether the death penalty should be banned everywhere forever is not my point or even interest here - there always has been and will be plenty of dialogue taking place on this complicated human dilemma. My position is, as long as capital punishment is in practice, the methods employed should be strictly questioned.)"
Paradox Paul
March 2010, Berlin
January 31
MANIFESTO ONE
"I believe democratic freedom includes the right to occupy a space, providing the occupancy harms no-one, nor harms the space itself, is used for positive ends, whilst paying all reasonable costs which arise, or no costs if no costs arise, and comes to an end when mutually suited.
Under these conditions, temporary-tenancy-politics ("Zwischennutzungs-politik") has nothing to do with squatting. Nor does it block or degrade future plans for the space in question. Rather, it is good ethical sense, good business sense, being useful as a counter-balance during economic hardships on all levels, is beneficial to all parties, whilst ensuring the upkeep and wellbeing of that space. A building's upkeep is best cared for through continuous occupancy.
If a temporary-tenancy ("Zwischennutzung") is undesirable or dangerous in any way, then it it undesirable or dangerous only to those holding power over that space, whether they understand the aforementioned principles or not, who feel at least the law is with them, fear displeasure of superiors who also, until this point, have not understood these principles, and/or for whom these principles come secondary to self-interest."
Paradox Paul
January 2010, Berlin
MANIFESTO TWO
"Paradox Berlin is a dynamic experiment in the art of making money through art - specifically in contemporary Berlin.
Of the many aspects, principles and related projects to be forwarded in these pages as they develop, the most important at the moment is the search for understanding and support of a fundamental concept called "Zwischennutzungs-politik"; i.e. the mutually beneficial 'usage' of a building or rooms (called here a 'space') by young business and kindrid initiatives which cannot yet afford the rental and/or running costs of the hundreds of thousands of empty spaces available through the commercial market or local councils. Apparently this is a common and agreeable phenomenon in Holland. In England right now, the idea is taking off in a big way (link). However, widespread acceptance of this innovative yet straightforward concept/movement/policy can only be possible as the artists and projects themselves get organised, get meeting, and get making suggestions to landlords good and evil across every city in a world in which empty spaces are generally kept empty to benefit the fraction of the population who prefer to sit in comfy homes with thousands of keys up their arses."
Paradox Berlin
January 2010, Berlin