An exclusive film interview with the artist behind Station to Station, Doug Aitken
After jumping aboard the Station to Station train in Barstow, and riding it through to Los Angeles and Oakland, AnOther are proud to present Matt Black's exclusive film featuring an interview with Doug Aitken who organised the "nomadic happening".
After years of planning and weeks spent travelling across America, the Californian-born artist reveals the inspiration behind the project. Spliced with some of the journey's key highlights – including Beck with his uplifting gospel choir, The Congos, Cold Cave and Cat Power – the film gives an a special insight to one of the most exciting and inspiring journeys in recent history. "Everyone who has been part of this project has come to it with a sense of curiousity or ideas. We’re not looking for something that has been built in the studio and shipped here, we’re looking for something which has been created in the moment," Aitken shared as the train travelled towards San Francisco.
"We wanted to create a language that is more nomadic and less materialistic and really empowering for the creators and the audience"
"Station to Station came out of a sense of urgency – a sense that culture, be it art, film or architecture, has become so compartmentalised," explained Aitken. " For this project, we wanted to break that and create a language that is more nomadic and less materialistic and really empowering for the creators and the audience. Every moment or "happening" on this journey has been different – it's not a tour, package or system. It is something that is ever-changing. It’s organic; an exquisite corpse. As it goes, different people come on, different people are part of it and the languages and the voices change and evolve."
A public art project made possible by the Levi’s brand, Station to Station raises funds through ticket sales and donations to support non-traditional programming at nine partner museums around the country.
Text by Laura Bradley
