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Mika Rottenberg
& Malcolm McLaren



MR: So Malcolm, what have you done recently that really excited you?

MB: Hi Mika. Nothing exciting happens unless you make it happen—I usually attempt it by turning left when you are supposed to turn right. There is no better feeling than getting a big, mighty surprise by such an action. Then I allow myself to let my heart rule my mind and end up blissfully lost. It just happened. I’ve arrived in Basel, Switzerland, from being lost somewhere near the Arctic Circle. It’s pouring rain and I’m jumping on a tram to nowhere without a ticket. It’s exciting! I’ve just seen a great exhibition on Action Painting and simply got very excited. So what do you look like at night? What do you sound like in the morning? Where do you go after lunch? Right now, I feel like a sausage. I don’t know why. But looking out of the window of this tram, I think Jesus Christ was a sausage. And the sausages in Basel taste great! How about you?

MR: I quit smoking and eating sausages, but don’t have much energy since. Do you think I should go back to it? I’m sitting in my dark apartment with my pajamas and it’s late afternoon. Is that wrong? I’ve been doing that a lot recently. But I have an iPhone, although I can’t make it work. I just talked to these sitar players earlier— they’re very uptight, but I get excited from talking to them. Also from talking to PJ: he’s a huge body builder and will be in my next video together with the sitar players. (Do you think they will be OK sitting in a champagne jacuzzi as they play their beautiful music? Should I ask them first?) I went to visit PJ at his gym in Connecticut. That was very exciting! I didn’t feel like a sausage anymore! I don’t really have lunch, I have breakfast and dinner. How about you?

MM: Everything you are doing sounds absurd! You don’t need energy, you don’t need an iPhone, you don’t need lunch.... You do need sitar players and body builders. What a perfect day! I need lunch constantly. I need energy. I need an iPhone! I certainly don’t need sitar players and I stay away from body builders. I am having a horrible day!

MR: Malcolm! Nothing I do is absurd! Your sausage is absurd! Every bit of sweat I drop is in sync with the forces of the universe! I’m sorry you’re having a bad day, but don’t take it out on me.

MM: Absurd is a very cool word and describes most processes of culture today. It is a fantastic word and helps describe a feeling in the air. I adore horrible days. That’s just the way I’m made. I’m happy in chaos and misery. I’m sure you look great in pajamas!

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