Brussels

Hey big J - thanks for all that - clears things up for me. I can say a definite yes then - but could you double check with the gertrude hierarchy that it will be possible to have events in the space on some evenings (for an invited rather than a general public).

My idea is that the space will be a private social space at these times, and the meeting space/reading room (which will consist of some designed sculptural objects that act as support/pedestal devices). These will be visible to the public at specific times during the two weeks. The window will be obscured in some fashion during the activities. I'm thinking of it almost as a period piece - think mathew jones's silence equals death piece/ Group Material (the collaborative agit prop art group)  with a 1980s aesthetic. Do we need to talk titles at this point? I'm still working things out so everything is kindof fluid at the moment.

General strike in brussels at the moment means we're having groundog day experience and can't get out (sat on yesterday's train for 30 mins before announcement that it was going nowhere). Jonny has just found a bus company that is actually running, so now I've got to figure out how to get my bags across the city with no public transport and traffic hell.

As for Jonny, last 3 months have been pretty much a one man show - with a few adventures. In greece was under the watchful eye of 30 cousins and and 16 aunts and uncles - a bit stressful sometimes. So much for radical gay activism. Send me your home or mobile phone if that's ok - so we can communicate - email is sometimes difficult. xxxsprios

Brussels

Hey Jeff,

Thanks so much for the email and the offer - it would definitely be a really exciting project to work on together... it's also thrown me a bit as I'm a bit stressed about the timeframe especially given the scale of my practice, the fact that i don't have studio any more and the significance of a gertrude street show for the development of my practice - the opportunity of a gertrude st show is obviously a bit more important for me than it is for the likes of Janet Burchill or John Mead. Of course I'm also a little bit sad that I'll have to drag my arse back from europe earlier than otherwise planned. I've just rung up qantas and it looks like I could be back on the 21st of October. So all up this means I can say yes, but can I ask a few questions.

1. Most importantly - what kind of installation timetable would there be? Ideally it would be great if I could work in the space for about 1 week before the 16th.

2. The idea that I'm currently working with would involve creating the environment for some kind of collective/reading group meeting. I know the show won't be open, but would it be possible to hold small events for invited groups of people within the window display? At this stage I'm thinking the actual meetings would be obscured from the public, but the meeting space would be visible at other times.

3. Can you confirm how much of the $3000 budget would be available as a materials fee?

4. Is it possible to get the usual gerturde street publication (the A4 cardboard thing that you usually do).

If the answers to these questions are positive than I can defenitely say yes. I'll check email tomorrow, but I should probably ring you to discuss all this, and the ideas that I'm working with. Can you suggest a good time to call - possibly the evening your time would work best for me)

But apart from all that business - in Brussels at the moment - and the summer in Greece is but a distant warm feeling - the water, the men, the sexual ambiguity and beautiful cheeses all gone. Sigh. I'm all biennaled out but I've got to say that prague's efforts (there were 2 biennales there due to some establishment cat-fight) impressed me more than vencies. Antwerp's haircuts and art-institutions rocked. I'm going to squeeze berlin in before i go home. Won't be as fast-paced and glamorous as your japan trip, but still pretty excited. Are you guys all going japanese at the same time? Did you gorge on gorgeous food and gorgeous t's - the japanese are so much more supportive of edgy euro designers. Anyway - this side of europe is going all russian right now - suprisingly different to what i imagined - good.

OK, I need to go hop on a train. But thanks so much for this - will be great to work with you and it's obviously a fantastic opportunity for me. Hope I don't sound gripey above just a little bit spun out by the sudden change in my plans.

hope you are making time for mischief

x sp