Harrie de Kroon "Lecture"

'I made a tape consisting of excerpts from recorded conversations between myself and friends. The playing of this tape was the start of the lecture. I landed in an unpredictable situation due to the fact that the structure of the lecture was minimal, and that that I wanted to play down my presence. The form which developed was a sort of conversation. All of my answers were based on my experience in making art. The event appeared to be really cut out for the curiosity which was growing out from the theme of 'Harrie de Kroon gives a lecture’. I was curious and so was a certain segment of the public. The lecture was supposed to offer insights into my working methods. As agreed beforehand, Josine van Droffelaar and Wies Smals (previously unannounced) impulsed my way, which I tried to weave into the situation of the moment. They blew on dog whistles, filled the room with the smell of grass and directed a spotlight at me. These 'cues', which were pretty rapid-fire at the beginning of the lecture, brought out reactions in me which I worked out on a secondary level. The whistle sent energy in a specific direction, the grass turned it into a kind of immaterial energy, and the spotlight brought it back to reality.’ (Harrie de Kroon, ‘Statement, 23 mei 1981’, De Appel, 1 (1981) 1, p. 16.)