MONO/e Faktura

FAKTURA (Thinking, of)

2001Intervention

123 bills

In spring 2001, Haus am Gern billed 123 Swiss gallerists, curators and art critics for having spent a certain amount of time thinking of them. Defaulting recipients were sent two reminders, one including a report by the Art Process Inspector. Reactions were mixed, extending from amusement to annoyance, even to anger. The sum of payments received amounted to CHF 236.47.1

1 Haus am Gern paid the proceeds of CHF 236.47 to the account of a well known art critic who was commissioned to write a short, sharp critique of FAKTURA and place it for publication in an art bulletin. However, he never wrote the review because “it’s impossible to find a place to publish such a project” and in turn he sent an invoice of CHF 43.59 for accumulated expenses and thinking processes. He also kept the remaining money in order “not to break the logic” and included the single copy of the work sent to him in his own archive. Years later he apologized for his behavior and offered Haus am Gern exactly one working hour of his time. The hour was finally compensated with a text (What is an hour worth?) for this monograph.

Thinking, of

Haus am Gern is a state-of-the-art enterprise managed by the artists Rudolf Steiner and Barbara Meyer Cesta. The directorship rsbmc recently sent bills to 123 man-

agers of more or less renowned cultural institutions in Switzerland. Curators, Gallerists and Museum directors were in-

voiced for the effort of thinking about them. For an hourly rate of 210 Swiss francs Haus am Gern thought

of women and men whose role it is to select works of art and place them in the archives that they manage. Thinking time averaged at several minutes. The bills

were printed on an inkjet printer and sent out in a red-dish-purple C5 envelope labeled "Faktura"

1 together

with a red invoice. The envelopes, wich are for available

for sale, usually accompany a product delivery attached on the inside of the product's packaging.

This intervention may lead to several different scenarios: 1) The recipient, henceforth referred to as the be-thought, can or will not pay the bill. He or she receives a reminder

after the payment period has ended. a) He pays the bill, go to point 2) b) He does not pay the bill

b1) rsbmc commutes the payment owed into a gift b1i) The be-thought accepts the work as a gift b1ii) The be-thought does not accept the gift and continues not to pay the bill.

Continue to b2). b2) rsbmc do not commute the payment owed into a gift.

b2i) The be-thought argues that he did not order the Thinking and therefore does not

owe anything. From this we may conclude that b2i1) the be-thought only pays works he has ordered. Hence the archive managed

by him only includes commissioned artwork.

b2i2) the be-thought believes that demand controls supply b2ii) The be-thought argues differently b2iii) The be-thought argues not at all and as a defaulted payee will be subjected to con-

cequences. Should he categorically refuse to argue, the be-thought can expect an entry in the archives of Haus am Gern's debth collection registry. This action may be avoided by going to point b2i or b2ii.

2) The recipient pays the bill. He must decide whether he is acquisitioning the work as a private individual or in his role

as manager of an archive.

a) Acquisition as a private individual. The be-thought remits the amount payable using the invoice and profits from his privileged role as an insider. The be-thought places his subjective will and profit before the acquisition stra-tegy of the archive.

b) Acquisition as representative of the archive. The be-thought suggests the work to the commission of the archive for acquisition as a print graphic.

b1) The commission decides on acquisition and inscribes the work in the register of the archive for an indeterminate

period of time. The committee transfers the amount owed to Haus am Gern’s bank account. The acquisition is thereby entered in the bank’s archive for a period of 10 years.

b2) The commission refuses the acquisition. The be-thought returns to point 1).

In both cases b1) and b2) the be-thought and the commission think of rsbmc during their meeting. The possibility thus

arises that the be-thought and the commission may want to charge Haus am Gern for thinking about them. However, as an art work by rsbmc the intervention is protected by authorship and copyright laws. The be-thought should therefore acquire written consent from Haus am Gern before sending an invoice. Should the be-thought in turn regard their action

as a work of art, it is understood that the bill contains a citation of a work by rsbmc which is clearly identified as such. A more general question arises whether the intervention thinking, of is a work by rsbmc or a product by Haus am Gern, or both.

Dr. Peter Vittali Art Process Inspector & Customer Care TONHOF AG

1 Faktura = an invoice or commercial bill

Walter TschoppWalter Tschopp RechnungsdatumRechnungsdatum 03.06.2001Direktor Periode 01.01. - 03.06.200101.01. - 03.06.2001

Musée d‘Art et d‘HistoireMusée d‘Art et d‘Histoire RechnungsnummerRechnungsnummer 58Esplanade Léopold-Robert 1Esplanade Léopold-Robert 12001 Neuchâtel2001 Neuchâtel

Sehr geehrter Herr Walter TschoppSehr geehrter Herr Walter Tschopp

Am 21. 1. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 21. 1. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 21. 1. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 21. 1. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.

Art der Dienstleistung Dauer Preis Gesamtin Min. pro Einheit

Denken Denken 4 SFr. 3.50 SFr. 14.00

ZwischensummeZwischensumme SFr. 14.00

3 % Skonto SFr. 0.427.6 % MWSt. SFr. 1.03

Versand incl. SFr. 0.00

Totalbetrag SFr. 14.61

FAKTURA

Customer Care: Art Process Inspector Tonhof AGMühlegasse 6A6340 BAAR

Postkonto: ! 30-270938-3Danke, dass Sie nur den beiliegenden EZ benutzen!

Customer Communications: [email protected] ++41-32-341 37 38www.hausamgern.ch

Zahlbar rein netto innert 30 Tagen

Haus am

Haus am steht unter ständiger Kontrolle derYoung Responsible Artists YRA

your thinking

Subject: your thinkingFrom: Tschopp Walter <[email protected]>Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 13:06:35 + 0200To: ‘[email protected]’ <[email protected]>

dear hausamgern,

I received your bill dated 3rd June, your reminder of 3rd July and the 2nd reminder of 13th July and thank you for these. it has been a long time since I received such a beautiful bill. also the thought of you thinking of me – even if it was only for four minutes – is a beautiful thought, although it reminds me of timm ulrich’s sentence“always remember to forget me”. on top of this, your price is not very high. if we assume that you thought of me/were forced to think of me for a further five minutes with every reminder you sent, it adds up to a total-time-of-thinking-about-me offourteen minutes, which then works out at a modest price of 1 Swiss franc a minute. we might already consider that a dumping-price. to ensure your price per minute doesn’t fall any further, I herewith announce thatI will pay my bill at the end of this month together with all my other bills. however – one might argue – your bill/reminders/this email made me think of you in return for at least fourteen minutes. but on the other hand art – and its monetary value – is always a question of making meaning. so let us assume that your-thinking-of-me has a higher value than me-thinking-of-you. please continue thinking in such a valuable way, aboutme, about the devil, about whom or whatever you want, but for heaven’s sake: think.

yours thoughtfullywalter tschoppconservateur arts plastiquesmusée d’art et d’histoire neuchâtelwww.ne.ch/neuchatel/mahn++41 32 717 79 20

RechnungsdatumRechnungsdatum 03.06.2001Galerist Periode 01.01. - 03.06.200101.01. - 03.06.2001

Galerie Mark MüllerGalerie Mark Müller RechnungsnummerRechnungsnummer 69Gessnerallee 36Gessnerallee 368001 Zürich8001 Zürich

Sehr geehrter Mark MüllerSehr geehrter Mark Müller

Am 02.06. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 6.9 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 02.06. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 6.9 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 02.06. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 6.9 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 02.06. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 6.9 Minuten an Sie gedacht.


Denken Denken 6.9 SFr. 3.50 SFr. 24.15





FAKTURA





Haus am


Please remove us from your mailing list forthwithThank you

Mark Müller

payment receivedresponses in writing or by phone

>Peter Killer, Kunsthaus Olten / 3.2 min / 11.69 CHF >Marianne Burki, Kunsthaus Langenthal / 5.5 min / 20.09 CHF >Beatrix Ruf, Kunsthaus Glarus / 6.2 min / 22.65 CHF >Dr. Katharina Schmidt, Kunstmuseum Basel / 3.2 / 12.78 CHF >Bernhard Mendes Bürgi, Kunsthalle Zürich / 2.2 in / 8.04 CHF >Dr. Ulrich Look, Kunstmuseum Luzern / 4.6 min / 16.81 CHF >Dr. Felix Baumann,Kunstmuseum Bern / 8.2 min / 29.96 CHF >Andreas Meier, Centre PasquArt Biel/Bienne / 12 min / 43.84 >Marc Olivier Wahler, Swiss Institute, New York / 7.1 min / 25.93 CHF >Beate Engel, Stadtgalerie Bern / 2.8 min / 10.23 CHF >Bernhard Fibicher, Kunsthalle Bern / 6.2 min / 22.65 CHF >Hedy Ernst, Kunstgarten Aarwangen / 4.4 min / 16.08 CHF >Markus Gossolt, Raum für aktuelle Kunst Luzern / 4.8 min / 17.54 CHF >Kaskadenkondensator Basel / 8.6 min / 31.42 CHF >Bernhard Bischoff, Galerie B Thun / 3.4 min / 12.42 CHF >Dr. Dieter Schwarz, Kunstmuseum Winterthur / 3.5 min /12.42 CHF >Beat Wismer, Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau / 7.2 min / 26.30 CHF >Ursula Wittmer, Galerie W Aarwangen / 11.2 min / 40.91 CHF >Max Sommer, Kunsthalle Burgdorf / 1.6 min / 5.84 CHF >Markus Landert, Karthause Ittigen / 6.8 min / 24.84 CHF >Martin Krebs, Galerie Martin Krebs Bern / 9.6 min / 35.07 CHF >Dorothe Freiburghaus, Kunstkeller Bern / 4.9 min / 17.90 CHF >Michael Kretlow, Kabinett Bern / 1.2 min / 4.38 CHF >Madeleine Schuppli, Kunstmuseum Thun / 8.1 min / 29.59 CHF >Dr. Tina Grütter, Museum zu Allerheiligen Schaffhausen / 6.4 min / 32.38 CHF >Dorothea Strauss, Kunsthalle St. Gallen / 4.1 min / 14.98 CHF >Bice Kuriger, Kunsthaus Zürich / 6.9 min / 25.21 CHF >Irène Preiswerk, semina rerum Zürich / 8.2 min / 29.96 CHF >Dr. Marie-Louise Lienhard, Helmhaus Zürich / 4.4 min / 16.08 CHF >Rein Wolfs, Migrosmuseum Zürich / 7.8 min / 28.49 CHF >Bob van Orsouw, Galerie Bob van Orsouw Zürich / 6.5 min / 23.75 CHF >Beat Wälchli, Galerie 89 Aarwangen / 3.2 min / 11.69 CHF >Tho-mas D. Meier, Museum für Kommunikation Bern / 5.2 min / 18.99 CHF >Dr. Markus Brüderlin, Fondation Beyeler Riehen / 8.9 min / 32.52 >E. + O. Friedrich, Galerie Friedrich Bern / 8.4 min / 30.69 CHF >Margit Haldemann, Galerie Margit Haldemann Bern / 2.2 min / 8.04 CHF >Urs Sutter, Galerie Suti Bern / 2.2 min / 8.04 CHF >Silvia Steiner, Galerie Silvia Steiner / 1.8 min / 6.57 CHF >Esther Münger, Galerie Esther Münger Burgdorf / 3.9 min / 14.25 CHF >Michel Ritter, Fri-Art Fribourg / 9 min / 32.87 CHF >William E. Ewing, Musée de l‘Elisée Lausanne / 7 min / 25.57 CHF >Karin Frei, Kunstpanorama Luzern / 4.2 min / 15.34 CHF >Urs Meile, Galerie Meile Luzern / 3.8 min / 13.88 CHF >Leitungsteam, Kunsthaus Baselland Muttenz / 5 min / 18.26 CHF >Walter Tschopp, Musée d‘Art et d‘Histoire Neuchâtel / 4 min / 14.61 CHF >Ausstellungsgremium, Seedamm Kulturzentrum Pfäffikon / 3.5 min / 12.78 CHF >Urs Raussmüller, Hallen für Neue Kunst Schaffhausen / 2.5 min / 9.14 CHF >Marie-Claude Morand, Musée des Beaux-Arts Sion / 1.7 min / 6.21 CHF >Dr. Christoph Vögele, Kunstmuseum Solothurn / 4.5 min / 16.44 CHF >Anna B. Fankhauser, Künstlerhaus S 11 Solothurn / 8.5 min / 31.05 CHF >Marco Giaccomoni, Künstlerhaus S 11, Solothurn / 7.8 min / 28.49 CHF >Urs Stahel, Fotomuseum Winterthur / 9.2 min / 33.60 CHF >Mark Müller, Galerie Mark Müller Zürich / 6.9 min / 25.21 CHF >Bruno Bischofsberger, Galerie Bischofsberger Zürich / 5.2 min / 18.99 CHF >Irene Presenhuber, Galerie Hauser & Wirth & Presenhuber Zürich / 6.3 min / 23.02 CHF >Rolf Müller, Galerie Art-Magazin Zürich / 5.2 min / Zürich18.99 CHF >Guido Magnaguagno, Museum Jean Tinguely Basel / 7.8 min / 28.49 CHF >Dr. Theodora Vischer, Museum für Gegenwartskunst Basel / 2.8 min / 10.23 CHF >Dr. Christoph Becker, Kunsthaus Zürich / 7.8 min / 28.49 CHF >Peter Pfrunder, Schweizerische Stiftung für Photographie Zürich / 4.6 min / 16.81 CHF >Beat Gugger, Forum der Schweizer Geschichte Schwyz / 8.8 min / 32.15 CHF >Dr. Friedemann Malsch, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein Vaduz / 11 min / 40.18 CHF >Elisabeth Grossmann, Haus Konstruktiv Zürich / 5.6 min / 20.45 CHF >Catherien Lepdor, Musée des Beaux-Arts Lausanne / 3.2 min / 11.69 CHF >Juliane Consandier, Fondation de l‘Hermitage Lausanne / 2 min / 7.31 CHF >Dolores Denaro, Kunsthaus Grenchen / 2 min / 7.31 CHF >Chris-tian Bernard, mamco Genève / 9 min / 32.87 CHF > Dr. Peter Dehring, Museum Liner Appenzell / 3.2 min / 11.96 CHF >Dr. Matthias Haldemann, Kunsthaus Zug / 12 min / 43.84 CHF >Beat Wismer, Aargauer Kunsthaus Aarau / 8 min / 29.22 CHF >Uli Berger, Fondation Saner Studen / 9 min / 32.87 CHF >Marci Franciolli, Museo Cantonale d‘Arte Lugano / 6 min / 21.92 CHF >Léonard Giannadda, Fonda-tion Pierre Giannadda Martigny / 4.8 min / 17.54 CHF >Roland Wäspe, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen / 7.2 min / 26.30 CHF >Pietro Scandola, Museum Neuhaus Biel/Bienne / 8.5 min / 31.05 CHF >Edmond Charrière, Musée des Beaux-Arts La Chaux-de-Fonds / 7 min / 25.57 CHF > Dr. Yvonne Lehnherr, Museum für Kunst und Geschichte Fribourg / 3.2 min / 11.69 CHF >Esther Eppstein, Message Salon Zürich / 6.5 min / 23.75 CHF >Annemarie Reichen, CAN Neuchâtel / 8 min / 29.22 CHF >Dr. Roland Scotti, Kirchner Museum Davos / 6 min / 21.92 CHF >Dr. Beat Stutzer, Bündner Kunstmuseum Chur / 5.3 min / 19.36 CHF >Claudia Jolles, Kunst-Bulletin Zürich / 7.8 min / 28.49 CHF >Dr. Jacqueline Burckhardt, Parkett Zürich / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Walter Keller, Scalo Verlag Zürich / 9 min / 32.87 CHF >Susanne Wintsch, Kunsthalle Palazzo Liestal / 5.2 min / 18.99 CHF >Jean-Paul Fellay & Olivier Kaeser / attitudes Genève / 4.3 min / 15.71 CHF >Peter Pakesch, Kunsthalle Basel / 5.2 min / 18.99 CHF >Marion von Osten, Shedhalle Zürich / 3.2 min / 11.69 CHF >Mariantonia Reinhard-Felice, Sammlung Oskar Reinhard Winterthur / 6 min / 21.92 CHF >Valentine Raymond, Musée jurassien des Arts Moutier / 5 min / 18.26 CHF >Claude Gfeller, Musée des Beaux-Arts Le Locle / 2 min / 7.31 CHF >Kathrin Frauenfelder, Eisen-plastiksammlung Dr. Koenig Zollikon / 4.8 min / 17.54 CHF >Henriette Mentha, Sammlung Im Obersteg Oberhofen / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Raphael T. Rigassi, Galerie Rigassi Bern / 4.8 min / 17.54 CHF >Brandstetter & Wyss, Galerie Brandstetter & Wyss Zürich / 8 min / 29.22 CHF >Diego Stampa, Galerie Stampa Basel / 6.2 min / 22.65 CHF >Bob Gysin, Galerie Bob Gysin Zürich / 4 min / 14.61 CHF >Markus Schwander, Musée des Expressions Basel / 6.3 min / 23.02 CHF >Conny E. Voester, Viper Basel / 7 min / 25.57 CHF >Niebur, Kunsthalle Wil / 3 min / 10.95 CHF >Tony Wuethrich, Galerie Tony Wuethrich Basel / 3.9 min / 14.25 CHF >Francesca Pia, Galerie Francesca Pia Bern / 2 min / 7.31 CHF >Stefi Binder, Galerie im Amtshimmel Baden / 1.2 min / 4.38 CHF >Nadja Schneider, Kleines Helmhaus Zürich / 3.9 min / 14.25 CHF >Nicolas Krupp, Galerie Nicolas Krupp Basel / 4 min / 14.61 CHF >Tobias Bezzola, Kunsthaus Zürich / 11.2 min / 40.91 CHF >Harald Szeemann, Agentur für Geistige Gastarbeit Tegna / 13.2 min / 48.22 CHF >Nicola von Senger, Galerie arsFutura Zürich / 7.6 min / 27.76 CHF >Christoph Lichtin und Leitungsteam Konsumbäckerei Solothurn / 4 min / 14.61 CHF >Rainer Peikert, Präsident Schweizerischer Kunstverein Zürich / 2.2 min / 8.04 CHF >Kristin Schmidt, Sammlung Hauser und Wirth St. Gallen / 12 min / 43.84 CHF >Iwan Wirth, Galerie Hauser und Wirth Zürich / 13.2 min / 48.22 CHF >Stefan Banz, Eidg. Kunstkommis-sion / 1.5 min / 5.48 CHF >Mariapia Borgnini, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Silvie Defraoui, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 2 min / 7.31 CHF >Alex Hanimann, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Simon Lamunière, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Claudio Moser, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Chantal Prod‘Hom, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Dr. Philip Ursprung, Eidg. Kunstkommission / 1 min / 3.65 CHF >Peter André Lienhard, Leiter Dienst Kunst Bundesamt für Kultur / 3.4 min / 12.42 CHF >Leitungsteam Kunstverein St. Gallen / 5 min / 18.26 CHF >Ralf Beil, Kunstmuseum Bern / 7 min / 25.57 CHF

Harald SzeemannHarald Szeemann RechnungsdatumRechnungsdatum 03.06.2001Kurator Periode 01.01. - 03.06.200101.01. - 03.06.2001

RechnungsnummerRechnungsnummer 128

6652 Tegna6652 Tegna

Sehr geehrter Harald SzeemannSehr geehrter Harald Szeemann

Am 3. 6. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 13.2 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 3. 6. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 13.2 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 3. 6. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 13.2 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 3. 6. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 13.2 Minuten an Sie gedacht.







FAKTURA





Haus am


Please don’t think too much!

RechnungsdatumRechnungsdatum 03.06.2001Leiter Periode 01.01. - 03.06.200101.01. - 03.06.2001

Dienst Kunst BAKDienst Kunst BAK RechnungsnummerRechnungsnummer 143Hallwylstrasse 15Hallwylstrasse 153003 Bern3003 Bern

Sehr geehrter Pierre-André LienhardSehr geehrter Pierre-André Lienhard

Am 23. 3. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 3.4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 23. 3. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 3.4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 23. 3. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 3.4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.Am 23. 3. 2001 hat Haus am Gern während 3.4 Minuten an Sie gedacht.






TotalbetragTotalbetrag SFr. 12.42

FAKTURA





Haus am


What is an hour Worth?Samuel Herzog

Without a doubt the longest hour imaginable was the English lesson. The Pope shakes his spear at a Milton over the Cole-ridge. What are Vladimir and Estragon waiting for? Can we think of similar situations in our own life? Our gaze drifts across the surface of the table, where countless predecessors have carved the rudest of curses and most eternal of promises into the pale brown varnish: “Gabi, for you I’ll shoot myself to the moon” it says there. If you bite whole mouthfuls off of one of those rocket-shaped ice lollies, and swal-low them whole, you’ll feel exactly how the cold slips through your body – the feeling only lasts a minute though, before our liver or tripe crushes the ice inside us. That would make sixty rocket ice lollies an hour. A flight to the moon lasts at least three days, which makes 72 hours or 4320 ice rockets. Is it possible to feel the ice moving through the body when floating in space? Isn’t a moon rocket itself a kind of ice rocket? After all, it is freezing up there. How does the body actually digest stuff in a rocket? And is there a toilet up in space? Imagine not going for three days while flushing 4320 ice rockets through your body. That must be some kind of record. But perhaps it would be much faster to shoot yourself to the moon for Gabi’s sake. One hour with Gabi. What is that worth? Does it depend on Gabi? Surely an hour with Gabi would pass more quickly than an hour with Shakespeare. What to do when you suddenly have an hour with Gabi? Well, now that really would depend on Gabi. But the hour would probably fly by, just like a flight to the moon. If only an hour with Gabi were to last as long as an English lesson. That would probably be nice – but impossible. But is an hour that lasts for a long time worth less than an hour that crashes through life like a bolt of lightening? Or more? During the English lesson we yearn for Gabi and when we’re with Gabi we wish we were back in the English lesson. That is a bit impractical – but probably one of those unfathomable laws of human existence. Kind of like the Apollonian rule that one hour’s weight is equal to sixty rocket-shaped ice lollies. That’s kind of an answer in itself isn’t it?

Samuel HerzogBorn in Basel, Switzerland in 1966. He studied art history in Basel and Bern. From 1988 to 1994, he was director of the art space “Fafa’s Kabinett” in Basel and Biel/Bienne. From 1995 he was an independent art writer for various media. In 2000, he was director of the project “Total Global – Umgang mit nicht-westlicher Kunst” at the Museum for Contempo-rary Art in Basel, which reconsidered ways of dealing with non-western art in museum practice and art history. In 2001, he became director of HOIO, a company that imports specialities from the fictive island of Santa Lemusa and is com-mitted to promoting the culture of this Atlantic island. He has been visual arts editor at the Neue Zürcher Zeitung since 2002.

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