Alfredo Jaar on Art, Politics, and the Illusionist's Mind

In an interview with Spazio Taverna ahead of a public talk on September 22, 2022, at CityLife in Milan, Alfredo Jaar (born 1956, Santiago, Chile) reflects on his practice. He cites Marcel Duchamp's Bicycle Wheel (1913) and Fountain (1917) as his artistic baptism, and Hans Haacke as a model. Jaar describes himself as an architect-artist-illusionist. His project A Logo for America (1987) critiques the U.S. monopolization of the term 'America'; he projected a logo in Times Square to reclaim the continent's name. He emphasizes context and genius loci, rooted in his architectural training. Jaar advises young artists to stop producing and think: 'Art is 99% thinking, 1% production.' He discusses the sublime over the sacred, and laments current global crises: the war in Ukraine, 100 million refugees, and media complicity. He calls for a new world civilization based on solidarity, echoing Gandhi. The interview is part of the 'Futuro Antico' series.