Unlimited Free Space: Comprehensive Waterfront Plan
At breakfast on St Nicholas Ave at 145th Street, USI is joined by Jean-Christian, who walks with them through the day and night to the next host site. While on a long, lonely deserted strip of green between the Harlem River Drive and the water - below Highland Park - USI interviewed him on space.
| ND |
[Question one] |
|
JCB |
I did some geometry at school. I also, I don't know, I hung around just walking on the street. I don't know if it could be considered a theoretical experience. But maybe not. I'm more experimental than theoretical. |
| ND |
To say that you're more experimental than theoretical is a theory. When we say theoretical, we don't mean you have to actually sit down and write out this theory or anything like that. Maybe we should say, do you have any knowledge of unlimited free space? |
| JCB |
Ahh! I've been practicing meditation for 15 years. So maybe it's a little bit about that. So, I can say that sometime I have kind of a feeling of the space... |
| ND |
Describe this space. |
| JCB |
My old Tibetan master, he learned me a very, very old way of expanding the space. |
| ND |
How'd he do that? |
| JCB |
In fact, it's working on the fact that you or I don't exist. So, it's by the dissolution of ego that you can do something like that. Dissolution between the wandering - between me and outside - that I can feel something about space. |
| ND |
In other words, if I get you correctly, you say that the experience of unlimited free space involves the breaking down of borderlines. |
| JCB |
Yeah, in this case, particularly the ego borderline. |
| ND |
So, have you had drifting or wandering experience? |
| JCB |
Drifting? What's that? |
| ND |
Derive, wandering |
| JCB |
Yeah. Maybe I deserve my title of specialist. |
| ND |
Tell us a story. |
| JCB |
Yesterday, I stopped at 42nd street and I went into Port Authority and there was some kind of queue for unlimited free food given to homeless people. So, I took the queue and after I ate - it was not bad. They spoke about god. About god was inside us. |
| VJ |
Did you speak to anyone in the line? |
| JCB |
Yeah, because they have a microphone on. So, you're obliged to listen. |
| ND |
Did you speak to anyone else?. |
|
JCB |
More or less. I didn't want to speak too much. After, I was hanging around and I discovered a girl doing crack. She was hiding in a special place under the highway that goes to the terminal. So, I just found her and she told me, "Okay, come." She made me a sign. So we had some time afterwards. And after, the police came. So, I tried to speak to the cops. But as I was trying to [get] my card [out] of my pocket, he said, "Don't move, man!" and he had his gun like that. And after, I was like that. [demonstrates with his hands up] |
| ND |
When you went to get your ID card, they told you "Don't move." |
| JCB |
Yeah. Because I just put the hand at the pocket so, it was like in a western, you know. The one who is fastest. |
| VJ |
The girl was a little more streetwise than you. |
| ND |
No, he means the police officer pulled the gun. |
| VJ |
The police officer did that? Oh, wow! I thought the girl did. |
| JCB |
No. She was really nice. The girl was doing crack.
And she really didn't ask anything - for any money or what. Just sharing
what she was doing
and no question at all. The police was more - [laughs] So, I don't know, maybe it's like that - sort of. |
| ROLAND |
BK so what are your thoughts about meeting people you don't know? |
| JCB |
The fact is I have a purpose. I don't do it without any intention. Yesterday, it was winning some money doing some dirty pictures with the international dirty press. |
| ND |
So, you take pictures with the hope to sell them? |
| JCB |
Yes. |
| ND |
In general, do you wander only to do this? |
| JCB |
No, I can do it like that. |
| ND |
You usually go with a camera. |
| JCB |
No, not necessarily. But, the fact is, it's just a question of survival. I mean, doing something with your life. Because you have this pressure which make you realize that you cannot just wander all your life without any purpose, without any goal or something like that. |
| ND |
Why is that? |
| JCB |
Because we are in a social system and I don't want my girlfriend to pay all the rent and all the bills. So, that's the point. Because I'm linked with people who are in the system and so I'm linked in this system. I'm not free enough to be really out. I think there is some quality of limited social space. Because you are forced - you are in some kind of contract. On dit contrat? |
 |
 |
Modified May 23, 1997