Dear Joshua,

We are writing to say how much we enjoyed taking part in the Hanging Picnic. As we may have mentioned, we live in a flat in a sort of co-operative Housing Association block. Although the occupants are many and varied, there is, without doubt, a hardcore of ex-squatters, hippies, anarchists and Socialist Worker Party types, who in this fine summer weather occupy the court­yard. As we are considered middle-class arty types we tried to leave home as early as possible on the morning of the H. P. to avoid running the usual gauntlet. Due to the fact that we were out late the night before however, we did not quite manage it.
When we crossed the courtyard carrying our “militantly amiable” placards someone observed in a loud voice that we were off to a demo and then enquired which one. We said we couldn’t say. “Right, man … cool”, was the knowing response with many thumbs up all round.
Returning to our flat some hours later it was clear to us, as we crossed the courtyard that some­thing had changed. We now seem to command a certain respect where we live.

With our best wishes,

Art in Ruins

NOTES
No Fun Without U: The Art of Factual Nonsense
Jeremy Cooper, ellipsis, London 2000
Radikale Bilder: Second Austrian Triennale on Photography catalogue
Neue Galerie am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz 1996