Residency : The Center of Negativity

by Roger Fähndrich on February 2024

In February 2024, The Center of Negativity (CON) was resident at Meyboom artist run space. Creating a space to share your struggles and to be listened to, CON offered free one-on-one conversations about feeling bad as an art worker. More than a hundred such talks following a number of different conversational protocols have already been held.

For general information about CON, please visit CON's website

In Meyboom, two diplomas were issued: Master of Arts in Toxic Self-Overwhelm and Master of Arts in Feeling Insulted. In total, seven one-on-one conversations took place. Also, a group conversation was held which was received well by the participants but caused deep anxiety in its initiator, Roger F.

Further, strategical decisions about the institutions’ future were reflected:

The aim is to frame this
The aim is to get out
How?
If the aim is fame
Get a good handle on the frame
in order to move it
a bit to the left
and up
it needs to go up
now that’s too much
it will never be straight

If fame is the aim
It’s a lame shame
But who am I to blame
I’ve got a hidden eye on that frame
it’s out of the orbit
lost like an ping-pong ball on a football field
inert
screaming
soccer shoe monster scenario
all the possible aims
in a possible historical time

The frame is friend and enemy to the aim
the aim is to know the frame
that’s it, that’s it
and, and
Frames come in different shapes and colours
multiple overlapping intersecting sames
situated in the midst of the big togethermess
encounter world-making
psychological frames
political frames
business feigns
envy reigns
gender, race and class insanes
wrong-winged pains
...