Jimmie Durham Remembered by Dora Stiefelmeier and Mario Pieroni

Dora Stiefelmeier and Mario Pieroni, longtime friends of Jimmie Durham, share memories of the artist in a conversation at RAM, Radio Arte Mobile in Rome's Esquilino neighborhood. They met Durham years earlier through Jan Hoet, when he arrived in Europe from Cuernavaca, where he had studied under philosopher Ivan Illich. Durham, who died recently, was an artist, poet, activist, philosopher, essayist, performer, singer, and filmmaker. He fought for Native American rights but rejected being labeled a "Cherokee artist" or "Red Indian." His work combined found objects in complex, meticulously controlled assemblages. His film "La Poursuite du Bonheur" (12 minutes), co-directed with Maria Theresa Alves, features friends and colleagues, including Anri Sala as Joe Hill and Mario Pieroni as Max Boldo. Durham's irony was legendary; when asked why he lived in Berlin, he replied, "If you like bad weather, bad food, and cold people... it's the ideal city." He refused the American pavilion at the Venice Biennale twice, saying "They are not the real Americans." He received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement two years ago from Ralph Rugoff, using the occasion to recite a poem. His last message to Dora, hours before his death, read: "I remained alone with myself, my shadow and my echo."