Larissa Kopp & Florian Aschka
First of all, we have to point out that our stay was still marked by the pandemic in spite of relatively high vaccination rates in the USA, which was reflected in the extremely complicated visa procedure and by slight restrictions in public life. Nevertheless, we were very happy that we were eventually able to travel in spite of all the obstacles! Staying in New York before the pandemic was certainly a bit different from our experience since, in particular, a large part of night life, club culture, etc., was scaled down and less people were out and about. Luckily, all the museums and galleries were open again. We were even able to see the Armory Show and thereby enjoy the overwhelming diversity of extremely high quality contemporary art in New York. It was a very enriching experience for us to meet and talk with so many interesting artists from all over the world in the studio. It really was absolutely luxurious to live and work free from cares in this expensive city for three months, to have an apartment with an incredible view in Chelsea and a studio in Brooklyn and we enjoyed this so much. In the USA social differences have extremely aggravated not only due to the Corona pandemic, which is immediately noticeable when you walk in the streets also of expensive and exclusive neighborhoods. For young artists it is much more difficult to make a living and get even very basic things, such as health insurance. The infrastructure is very outdated, as well, and on account of our stay, we even more appreciate Vienna and its perfect organization!
| 1. | My stay in one word: | |
| Air condition. | ||
| 2. | Dos & don’ts in this place: | |
| Don’t: Talking too much about capitalism, black humor, not giving tips, being naked on the beach Do: Being friendly, paying compliments, engaging in small talk |
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| 3. | Things I miss since I am no longer there: | |
| The view from the apartment and the balcony! Moreover, car drivers respectful of cyclists. | ||
| 4. | Where to shop great supplies: | |
| Textiles: Fabric Barn in East Williamsburg, Spandex House, Fashion District, Crest Hardware and Urban Garden Center Metro: Lorimer Street (DIY material and paints). |
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| 5. | What you should definitely bring with you from home: | |
| An adapter for sockets, a high tolerance level with regard to neoliberalism and capitalism. | ||
| 6. | Concerning art at this destination and where I visited the best exhibitions: | |
| Of course, New York still is an epicenter of contemporary art and there are great museums/architecture, exhibitions and art fairs, although there are hardly any opportunities for the young, experimental scene as the cost of living and real estate prices are so exorbitantly high. | ||
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| Close to the studio, there is very good coffee at “Rosewolf” and Brujos Burritos offers tasty lunch. | ||
| 8. | Where I like to spend the evening (dinner, drinks, best sound and networking opportunity): | |
| Dinner: An outing to the highly interesting art space/residency/research center Pioneer Works in Red Hook in combination with a meal at Mark’s Red Hook Pizza! Also: soup dumplings at Joes Shanghai in Chinatown; to end the evening: queer Nowhere Bar or The Monster with piano music and musical karaoke. | ||
| 9. | What would have been useful to know before coming here and starting my residency: | |
| Difficult to say… I think that, clothes-wise, we were not well prepared for the extremely hot and muggy weather… You get the most important information about the studio in advance anyway! |
Website resident: larissakopp.com