Amaya González

Transgresión

About some things that I could have done here:

I could have written the word “nail”every time I wanted, as often as necessary, building a line that would occupy the space,which would give a similar result to what my installation was,and would be something similar to this (even if it would not beinquotes):

“Nailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannailliannail”

I could have written a text of 7000 characters (including spaces) but I didn’t know if I wanted. I didn’t know if I wanted because I didn’t felt likeitor simply I didn’t need to do it.

I could also have invited Sílvia Zayas (which I’m not sure but I think she also participates in this book) for an exchange.The exchange would be based on each of us writing the part corresponding to the other, so we would write what we would think the other could have written and vice-versa.And at that precise moment, if necessary, she would be writing my 7000 characters and I would be enjoying myself much more imagining her text than writing mine. But once I’ve decided what I was going to do it, I thought it wasn’t worth to propose this to her,although probably what I wrote about what I wanted to do could also be applied to her, although there was also the possibility that we wouldn’t like each other’s text-a risk that I didn’t know if I wanted to take at that moment.

I’ve just called her but I didn’t manage to talk to her.

I could have spoken about a lot of things, maybe too many. So that nothing would seem to be related to what is proposed in this book but some how this relation would exist.

I could have made a diary and tried to write objectively about what my work and experience were, but this required an effort that, at that moment, I considered unnecessary and for which I had no time. This text would include a review of my memories,of my work, of my notes, etc..

I could have written about any other thing I wanted since I was free to fill 7000 characters.

I could have spoken simply about my work and make a dense journey through it. A detailed description of the material,the layout,the dimensions,the concepts and everything that had to do with it, having made it, having seen it.It would be something like a detailed study of everything that generated and generates it, in which I would have included other conjectures from what each one may think about an almost casual disposition given by twisted and rusty nails.

I could have stopped separating things and talk in general, it would be far more efficient to make distinctions between certain things and others, despite being aware that there might exist connections that I would rather ignore.

I could have simply listed everything of what some how Fronte(i)ras was:

“Residence-strangers-acquainted-travel-home-dogs-anxiety-panic-loneliness-horizon-telephone-search-trust-friendship-meetings-nails-meters-photos-keys-music-silence-murmur of the river-lines-myspace-sensible–birthdays-Idília-cake–etc.”.Or maybe I could sort themalphabetically,”accident–acquainted–anxiety–bends–birthdays–booklet–cake–cords–curiosity–dogs-emails—etc.-food–friendship-going-grapes–home-horizon–Idília–internet–key-lines-loneliness–meetings–meters–mountains–music-my space–nails-panic-people-phone-photos–residency-return-river–river murmur-road–rocks-ropes–search–silence-slate stones-strangers-strings–threads–travel-truck–trust–walk-waterrunning–words-writings”.Although I could alsohave usedthese words and sortthem according to their succession in time:”road-travel-home…” (Continuing to make this list requires too much space and time).

I could have transcribed the text I’ve written at the time and opt not to say anything more, or maybe yes…

Perhaps this option would have been more practical and,more over, I would at least fill 2324 characters, and it would be something like this:

Transgression (or first essay on the possibility of building an unnecessary border to my measure) 2007.

“I have to speak for approximately twenty minutes about fronte(i)ras, even though, as Bartle by the scrivener would say, “I would prefer not to do it. “I will try, therefore, to be as brief as possible, to talk about what I did, because,in addition, I think that with the text I don’t intend to say much more than with the work.

Among other things, I made a line on the wall enclosing a space with an unnecessary limit on something that already has its own limits.

I looked often at the horizon, and I thought of it as visual boundary, as unattainable boundary, as the beginning or end of now here, like a border that moves with you, wherever you go.

I must also say that my relationship with the boundary is personal, I never needed to cross a real border, just when travelling, for pleasure… and it didn’t mean anything to me… for example, when I was going to Nodar I crossed aborder, a bridge,in this case, and even if nothing had changed, simply peoples poke differently; tobacco and oil were more expensive, and from that moment also the phone calls, and the fines,if you had some,they would have to be paid in cash.

… Also time was not the same, one hour less… Besides that,nothing changed, just the landscape, the signs…

Once in Nodar, I crossed the door of someone else’s house and I installed myself, living with more people. This was surely different, but not so much, and once the ice was broken… I am there to work on something… and I say something, because I didn’t know exactly what it was… Now yes, a line, even if before there were other things… trying to build unnecessary borders,trying to respond to a subject through a personal and artistic experience.

Now I finished a work about a subject on which I had never worked; I know that the work is consistent with my expectations and I also believe that this text also is.

Thank you all, and particularly to those who participated in this experiment, for everything that I experienced and learned. “That was what seemed right at the time, and now, by reading it, I do not regret it, which perhaps I should worry about, thinking that I haven’t matured since then, but I prefer to think that simply I don’t have time for it.

I could also not write anything and leave this space empty… and the text could begin like this: “7000 characters: (to which we must subtract the 75 that I’ve already used here).”

I suppose that I could do many other things but there are no more available characters so I ask you to imagine what I could door what I didn’t do.