Pablo Helguera: Art in Dialogue (The Secret Ingredient - 24/06/15)

The Secret Ingredient

Artist, writer, and educator Pablo Helguera discusses the integration of art and life and the dialogue that occurs between an artwork and the outside world. He considers the beginning point of artistic investigation and describes his latest project: a book about aphorisms for artists. Join us as we reflect on the human desire for continual learning and the possibilities of artistic collaboration. The secret ingredient in art: “I thought about my mom when you asked me that, mainly because my mom is a great cook. She learned cooking like a lot of people do – through experience. And it’s almost impossible to get her to tell you how she cooks this or that. It’s almost like a magician where you don’t know how she managed to do it. I think this is the trick with asking for a formula for making an artwork or a project. There’s no secret ingredient. […] What I would say is it’s all about bits of intuition and a massive dose of experience. Knowing what to do with what you have.” – Pablo Helguera Helguera, Pablo, Education for Socially Engaged Art: A Materials and Techniques Handbook, New York: Jorge Pinto Books, 2011.