Atelier I: Runchett (Station 4 Rundgang Hildesheimer)

"I'm finally back at the runchett. Fantastic. Near the fountain I found a huge piece of gnawed bark. One of the Schumacher brothers must have laid it there. A work of art. It would certainly win a great prize of the Biennale, if only it were conceivable that such a labyrinth could be created by the hands of one man. Abstract art – especially plastic art – appears worthless in the light of the things that can be found in nature, but also on the walls of houses, on piles of rubbish, etc. On the other hand, it must be conceded that thanks to it the gaze has become sensitized to these coincidences." (1)

In this other note, Hildesheimer recounts his life in Poschiavo in the mid-1960s:

"Visit of Wim van Leer and Lea. Pleasant lunch in their company at the runchett. After that, unfortunately, Wim wanted at all costs to read me a passage from his new piece [...].

While Vaninetti and Father Camillo arrived, Silvia received them and entertained them in my studio. A welcome opportunity to stop reading first and reach out to others, where the situation becomes complicated. Wim speaks Dutch and English, Lea English, Hebrew and Romanian, Camillo French and Italian, Vaninetti only Italian." (2)

Sources:
(1) Gesammelte Werke VII, Berichte, Notate, S. 666f. (trans. Monika Thurner).
(2) Gesammelte Werke VII, Berichte, Notate, S. 666f. (trans. Monika Thurner).