»Fuck your poor life«

A short foreword to the current circumstances:

Originally we wanted to come to the Platforms Project Artfair in Athens personally. So that all our works of art could fit together in one suitcase, each work of art was allowed to have a maximum size of DIN A3 (42 x 29,7 cm). When folded, my work of art is in DIN A3 format. When unfolded, the folds result in sixteen fields containing the title.

Since the fair was now cancelled, the size limitation of our artworks became obsolete. However, the original intention to travel remains indelibly inscribed in my work of art through the folds. Perhaps a good sign to maintain connections with each other, no matter what the circumstances.

Text contribution by Daniel Scheffel on his work of art »Fuck your poor life«:

Less is more.
How true this saying is,
as true as we love your simple southern lifestyle.
Because we think it’s cool how little you need to be happy.

We think it’s cool,
how you scratch a living with such low-paying jobs.
That’s why we come to you for work-and-travel vacations:
Because we want to be like you.

We think it’s cool,
that despite social problems you sit outside all day long, chatting and drinking.
That’s why we come to your holiday resorts to drink:
Because we want to be like you.

We think it’s cool,
with how many family members you share your little apartments.
That’s why we book Airbnb apartments with our friends in the middle of your neighbourhoods:
Because we want to be like you.

We think it’s cool,
how romantic the modest life in your country side is.
That’s why we’re buying your country houses:
Because we want to be like you.

We want to be as authentic as you!
We want to be as satisfied as you!
We are like you!

So why the fuck won’t you let us be one of you?!

‘Fuck your poor life’ – when for some inexplicable reason it just doesn’t work out to be one of the common locals.

Terminological background to artwork and text:
»[There are people] who ascribe glamour to poverty. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘slumming’ or ‘class tourism’«.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_People – found 13.04.2020)

»Slumming means to do something or go somewhere that is lower class than your normal life, usually out of curiosity or with a condescending attitude.«
(https://dict.leo.org/forum/viewUnsolvedquery.php?idThread=33356&idForum=2&lang=de&lp=ende [lokal input 09. März 2005, 21:47, author: FredM] – found 13.04.2020)

»Class Tourism [means] the pleasure you get from observing behaviour of people of lower social class. It might involve visiting poor neighbourhood in your area or watching films of such places online.«
(http://amusedobserver.com/en/glossary-of-modern-tourism/ – found 13.04.2020)

The term ‘social voyeurism’ is also often used for this complex of themes.
The actual core of this topic is certainly the ethical or moral dimension.

The following great song gets to the heart of the matter in its own way:

Pulp: »Common people«

She came from Greece
She had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at Saint Martins College
That’s where I caught her eye
She told me that her dad was loaded
I said, »Well, in that case I’ll have a rum and Coca-Cola«
She said, »Fine«

And then in thirty seconds’ time, she said
»I want to live like common people
I want to do whatever common people do
I want to sleep with common people
I want to sleep with common people like you.«

Well, what else could I do?
I said »Oh, I’ll see what I can do.«

I took her to a supermarket
I don’t know why, but I had to start it somewhere
So it started there
I said, »Pretend you’ve got no money.«
And she just laughed and said, »Oh, you’re so funny.«
I said »Yeah?
Well I can’t see anyone else smiling in here

Are you sure
You want to live like common people
You want to see whatever common people see
You want to sleep with common people
You want to sleep with common people like me?«
But she didn’t understand
She just smiled and held my hand
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you’ll never get it right
‘Cos when you’re laying in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad he could stop it all

Yeah
You’ll never live like common people
You’ll never do whatever common people do
You’ll never fail like common people
You’ll never watch your life slide out of view
And then dance, and drink, and screw
Because there’s nothing else to do
Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they’re laughing at you
And the stupid things that you do
Because you think that poor is cool

Like a dog lying in a corner
They will bite you and never warn you
Look out
They’ll tear your insides out
‘cos everybody hates a tourist
Especially one who thinks it’s
All such a laugh
Yeah and the chip stains and grease will come out in the bath
You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright whilst you can only wonder why

Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you’ll never get it right
‘Cos when you’re laying in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your Dad he could stop it all

You’ll never live like common people
You’ll never do what common people do
You’ll never fail like common people
You’ll never watch your life slide out of view

And then dance, and drink, and screw
Because there’s nothing else to do
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
I want to live with common people like you
Aa-aa-ah la la la la
Aa-aa-ah la la la la
Aa-aa-ah la la la la
Aa-aa-ah la la-la-la la-la
Oh yeah

(https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/pulp/common-people-53d69fc5.html – found 28.02.2020)

»’Common People’ is a song by English alternative rock band Pulp, released in May 1995 […]. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart […]. In 2014, BBC Radio 6 Music listeners voted it their favourite Britpop song in an online poll. In a 2015 ‘Rolling Stone’ readers’ poll it was voted the greatest Britpop song. […] The song was written by the band members Jarvis Cocker, Nick Banks, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey and Russell Senior.«
»[…] Justin Myers of the Official Charts Company wrote, ‘Common People was typical Pulp – a biting satire of posh people ‘roughing it’ and acting like tourists by hanging with the ‘common people’.«
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_People – found 13.04.2020)