I often wonder what it'll do to my kids to grow up immersed in contemporary art the way they are: reading Jacob Lawrence's Migration Series at bedtime; seeing every vertical line in a painting as a "zip"; choosing to watch "The Way Things Go" over Yo Gabba Gabba; asking 20x day to hear the story of "daddy's friend Jamie" who hides in the sculpture.
So I am stoked to get to see a little further down the road, thanks to Jovi Juan's awesome account of his sons' participation in Tino Seghal's "This Progress" at the Guggenheim.
People walked into the performance with no context. When a lady on the second day started screaming, "How can you charge 17 dollars for an empty museum and a bunch of kids offering tours? I want my money back! I want my money back!", the two boys were surprisingly affected. The whole episode made them sad, seeing the staff having to deal with the hysteria. In the end, she didn't get her money back, and she left in anger.Well, except for that part, which was a little sad. But the point is, they get it, and it can be serious and meaningful to them.
Tino Sehgal's "This Progress": The Missing Children's Guide [wsj via afc]
