April 30th 2023
Lenin
I have not moved around too much these days. The museum is closed because of some demands of my colleagues that have not been met by the Foundation. It is like in the Soviet Union, when it was not possible to strike anymore. Why should a worker protest against a Republic in the hands of workers, more precisely of the workers party? I should write a brief essay on the subject, to give further strength to a party that ceased to exist around thirty years ago. Intellectuals are always greedy to read what comes from my hand and I am also satisfied by the outcome. The more someone is far away from everyday needs, the less able to spot the nuance in my speeches that tend to alter his mind. A pure detachment from the material world is the key to spread a religion based on materialism, my fight against any sort of spiritualism and the triumph of communism. When I think about the manipulation of the mind of the masses, some exaltation still reaches my brain. It is an old pattern from which I will never take part.
Otherwise I will cease to be Lenin and I will become closer to the actor who is impersonating myself. Who is nothing else than a mummy. Right now I am profiting from the few extra holidaysprovided with the strike. I am paid anyway, because, as I have already clarified to my colleagues, I cannot feel any resistance against a socialist institution. They cheered at my words, believing I was acting in such a way not to lose my salary and even expressed some solitary thought that I am so poor that I cannot renounce even a small income. The director also appreciated my loyalty and told me that, by such a commitment, I will soon get a promotion.
The art dealer
It is really hard not to travel as far as Leipyig, where you know there is a treasure to be discovered, that is Neo Rauch and its atelier. I imagine myself pretending to be a distinguished art collector and trying to get the hands on the true primary market. Neo Rauch in person would meet me to drink a beer together. He will be astonished by the expertise of a young collector and be moved to offer a real bargain, certain that his work will be so carefully kept and appreciated. On my side, I will show all the good manners. I have learnt by attending high society and the upper class, telling so many anecdotes about Cambridge that it will be hard to believe. I have not studied there. The burgers by the red cow, the steaks by the Eagle and the beers by the Town and Gown. Unfortunately someone knocks at the door and wakes me up from an open eyes dream. It is the lady of the mini bar, asking me whether I need to refill the fridge with a beer or a mineral water. Since it is free of charge, I take both and ask for an extra beer. It is good to spare some money when you do not really have the generous wallet of an established art collector. The art collector would perhaps act in a similar way, sparing every cent to acquire the next piece in their precious wunderkammer. I however realize the need to go further with my research. It is not such an easy task. Well renowned artists are already well represented and professional gallerists can spot people like me at a first glance. Let’s try to walk around randomly in the city center. Or perhaps systematically. While studying in France, I met a
priest coming from Catalunya who drew on the map lal the streets of Paris he did on food. I can take him as a model, trying to save my career instead of my soul. A modern Imitatio Christi.
The consultant
It is not hard to get so easily acquainted with a new project when the atmosphere is so relaxed.
The expectation of the management is not so high and few colleagues are really pushy, if not by doing some finger pointing when they fear to have committed a mistake. Nobody fears on the contrary to be beyond the deadline since the business model of my client is currently so strong to allow me to take all the needed time to analyze the problems. That is also the best way to proceed, allowing the hought leaders to be creative enough to beat the competition on the quality of our proposition. A positive circle that surprisingly makes a small company in the East of Germany to constitute a model for much better renown enterprises in cooler locations. Such a good environment provides me with extra time in the evening, that can also be reflected in my expenses. Not those covered by the company and directly related to the project, but the actual extra costs such as visits to the museums and to the concerts at the SemperOper. Dresden is an incredibly developed city and under so many aspects is as much developed as Zurich. Only from the perspective of fashionable restaurants and venues, it is quite provincial . It is anyway quite a good thing, otherwise my monthly income would be easily affected. I thus prefer to eat in the hotel or take a drink on the top floor. They will do gin tonics with the most common brands, but the pianist is excellent. What a pity that he works here during the last days of the week only.
It would be excellent to begin on Monday evenings to enjoy good music mixed with alcohol.
Better to go back to my work. The atmosphere is not stressful, but it does not mean there is no measurement of delivery.
