Static static, static !

Static static, static !

Conférence à l'Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) de Londres

Jean Tinguely

le 12 novembre 1959

Static, static, static ! Be static ! Movement is static ! Movement is static because it is the only immuable thing – the only certainty, the only unchangeable. The only certainty is that the movement, change and metamorphosis exist. That is why movement is static. So-called immobile object exists only in movement. Immobile, certain and permanent things, ideas, works and beliefs change, transform and desintegrate. Immobile objects and snapshots of a movement whose existence we refuse to accept, because we ourselves are only an instant in the great movement. Movement is the only static, final, permanent and certain thing. Static means transformation. Let us be static together with movement. Move statically ! Be static ! Be movement ! Believe in movement's static quality. Believe in change. Do not pin-point anything ! Everything about us is movement. Everything around us changes. Believe in movement's static quality. Be static !

The constant of movement, of desintegration, of change and of construction is static. Be constant ! Get used to seeing things, ideas and works in their state of ceaseless change. You will live longer. Be permanent by being static ! Be part of movement ! Only in movement do we find the true essence of things. Today we can not longer believe in permanent laws, defined religions, durable architecture of eternal kingdoms. Immutability does not exist. All is movement. All is static. We are afraid of movement because it stands for decomposition – because we see our desintegration in movement. Continuous static movement marches on ! It cannot be stopped. We are fooling ourselves if we close our eyes and refuse to recognize the change. Actually, decomposition does not exist ! Decomposition does not exist ! Decomposition is a state envisaged only by us because we do not want it to exist, and because we dread it.

There is no death! Death exists only for those who cannot accept evolution. Everything changes. Death is a transition from movement to movement. Death is static. Death is movement.

Be youself by growing above yourself. Don't stand in your own way. Let us change with, and not against, movement. Then we shall be static and shall not decompose. Then there will be neither good nor evil, neither beauty nor unsightliness, neither truth not falsehood. Conceptions are fixations. If we stand still, we block our own path and we are confronted with our own controversies. Let us contadict ourselves because we change. Let us be good and evil, true and false, beautiful and loathsome. We are all of these anyway. Let us admit it by accepting movement. Let us be static ! Be static !

We are still very much annoyed by out-of-date notions of time. Please, would you throw away your watches ! At least, toss aside the minutes and hours.

Obviously, we all realize that we are not everlasting. Our fear of death has inspired the creation of beautiful works of art. And this was a fine thing, too. We would so much like to own, think, too. We would so much like to own, think or be something static, eternal and permanent. However, our only eternal possession will be change.

To attempt to hold fast an instant is doubtful.

To bind an emotion is unthinkable.

To petrify love is impossible.

It is beautiful to be transitory.

How lovely it is not to have to live forever.

Luckily, there is nothing good and nothing evil.

Live in time, with time – ad as soon as time has sickened away, against it. Do not try to retain it. Do not build dams to restrain it. Water can be stored. It flows through your fingers. But time you cannot hold back. Time is movement and cannot be checked.

Time passes us and rushes on, and we remain behind, old and crumbled. But we are rejuvenated again and again by static and continuous movement. Let us be transformed ! Let us be static ! Let us be against stagnation and for static !