1 00:00:07,500 --> 00:00:11,880 [Gabriel Orozco: "Spanish Lessons"] 2 00:00:14,340 --> 00:00:16,620 ¿Solo par a saber quien habla español? 3 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,360 ¿Mas bien quien no habla nada español? 4 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,020 One, two, three...kind of... 5 00:00:23,020 --> 00:00:24,520 four, five... 6 00:00:26,020 --> 00:00:27,340 Okay, so I'm going to do it 7 00:00:27,350 --> 00:00:28,539 mostly in Spanish. 8 00:00:28,539 --> 00:00:29,630 [ALL LAUGH] 9 00:00:29,630 --> 00:00:31,619 The other thing is, like, 10 00:00:31,619 --> 00:00:34,219 why we have this class [LAUGHS] 11 00:00:34,219 --> 00:00:35,370 in Spanish lessons. 12 00:00:35,370 --> 00:00:37,040 [CONTINUES SPEAKING IN SPANISH] 13 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:38,730 I try to open up 14 00:00:38,730 --> 00:00:41,649 many levels of exchange 15 00:00:41,649 --> 00:00:44,130 and communication and research, 16 00:00:44,130 --> 00:00:47,770 and art became a kind of teaching aid 17 00:00:48,820 --> 00:00:53,480 to serve the purpose of teaching Spanish. 18 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:55,980 It was very open, 19 00:00:55,989 --> 00:00:58,850 artists giving different types 20 00:00:58,850 --> 00:01:00,670 of lectures, conversations, 21 00:01:00,670 --> 00:01:02,280 and workshops. 22 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:03,649 And then also, we did funny things, 23 00:01:03,649 --> 00:01:05,280 like karaoke. 24 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:09,270 [SINGING IN SPANISH] 25 00:01:09,270 --> 00:01:11,350 [Class is in Session. Please do not disturb. Gracias!] 26 00:01:11,350 --> 00:01:14,570 [SPEAKING IN SPANISH] 27 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,780 We have the constant teaching of Spanish 28 00:01:24,780 --> 00:01:27,580 every day, from 11 to 6. 29 00:01:27,580 --> 00:01:30,580 The classes were for free. 30 00:01:30,580 --> 00:01:33,720 [BOTH SPEAKING IN SPANISH] 31 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:06,880 [BOTH LAUGH] 32 00:02:10,848 --> 00:02:12,269 We are in a gallery uptown, 33 00:02:12,269 --> 00:02:13,680 57th Street. 34 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,109 This space is on 35 00:02:15,109 --> 00:02:16,809 the lower floor of the gallery-- 36 00:02:16,809 --> 00:02:17,950 the third floor. 37 00:02:17,950 --> 00:02:19,079 All interactions in New York 38 00:02:19,079 --> 00:02:21,969 tend to be mostly through the market, 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,480 and through the institutions-- 40 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:27,720 and that is not good. 41 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:28,940 Inserting a moment 42 00:02:28,959 --> 00:02:30,299 in a commercial gallery 43 00:02:30,299 --> 00:02:32,870 is saying that it's not just about 44 00:02:32,870 --> 00:02:35,590 the object as a commodity-- 45 00:02:35,590 --> 00:02:38,180 that you can just come and shop, 46 00:02:38,180 --> 00:02:39,519 but that you can learn, 47 00:02:39,519 --> 00:02:41,579 you can acquire knowledge, 48 00:02:41,579 --> 00:02:43,469 you can exchange knowledge, 49 00:02:43,469 --> 00:02:45,150 it's a different system of interaction-- 50 00:02:45,150 --> 00:02:47,590 of exchange between people. 51 00:02:48,900 --> 00:02:51,599 I think it was interesting to me 52 00:02:51,599 --> 00:02:52,459 to see what happens 53 00:02:52,459 --> 00:02:54,109 if you expose the public 54 00:02:54,109 --> 00:02:56,510 that comes to these types of exhibitions 55 00:02:56,510 --> 00:02:59,140 to make an effort to try understand 56 00:02:59,140 --> 00:03:01,340 or to try to speak Spanish. 57 00:03:03,049 --> 00:03:05,829 [SPEAKING IN SPANISH] 58 00:03:13,640 --> 00:03:15,639 Spanish is the second language 59 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:16,969 in this country, 60 00:03:16,969 --> 00:03:18,609 and probably in the future 61 00:03:18,609 --> 00:03:20,069 will be the first language. 62 00:03:20,069 --> 00:03:21,499 But people still use it 63 00:03:21,499 --> 00:03:24,279 just for street talk, 64 00:03:24,279 --> 00:03:27,359 or to ask for a taco in the corner shop, 65 00:03:27,359 --> 00:03:28,339 but still, 66 00:03:28,339 --> 00:03:29,609 I don't think-- 67 00:03:29,609 --> 00:03:30,370 I don't feel-- 68 00:03:30,370 --> 00:03:33,529 that Spanish has a proper status 69 00:03:33,529 --> 00:03:35,900 in the infrastructure of knowledge. 70 00:03:35,900 --> 00:03:37,779 It's very common to hear 71 00:03:37,779 --> 00:03:39,639 people quoting Borges, for example, 72 00:03:39,639 --> 00:03:40,839 because he has been a writer 73 00:03:40,839 --> 00:03:42,499 that has been very influential 74 00:03:42,499 --> 00:03:44,589 for art writing 75 00:03:44,589 --> 00:03:46,699 and literature in general. 76 00:03:46,699 --> 00:03:49,549 But, not many people have really 77 00:03:49,549 --> 00:03:51,400 read Borges in Spanish-- 78 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:52,969 not even listen to lecture 79 00:03:52,969 --> 00:03:55,329 of Borges, which are amazing. 80 00:03:56,129 --> 00:03:58,379 Meaning changes when you translate, 81 00:03:58,379 --> 00:04:00,199 so for me, 82 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,159 to read Borges in Spanish 83 00:04:02,159 --> 00:04:04,639 is a fundamental thing-- 84 00:04:04,639 --> 00:04:06,150 it's a privilege. 85 00:04:06,150 --> 00:04:08,549 So, I think that was interesting 86 00:04:08,549 --> 00:04:10,119 to try to expose people, 87 00:04:10,119 --> 00:04:10,999 but also to 88 00:04:10,999 --> 00:04:12,680 maybe get some reading, 89 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,729 get some information. 90 00:04:14,729 --> 00:04:16,149 We are not acting here. 91 00:04:16,149 --> 00:04:17,940 We are really learning 92 00:04:17,940 --> 00:04:18,728 and teaching 93 00:04:18,728 --> 00:04:22,329 and in an exchange between artists. 94 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:25,820 [SPEAKING IN SPANISH]