Show Notes
In this episode, Michel Auder and Alexandra Auder share insights into their lives immersed in art, film, and New York's counterculture. They discuss how their experiences shape their creative processes, the mythic status of the Chelsea Hotel, and the intersection of life and art.
keywords: Michel Auder, Alexandra Auder, Chelsea Hotel, New York art scene, film, autobiography, counterculture, life and art, video art, memoirs
key topics: Michel Auder's evolution from France to New York filmmaker Alexandra Auder's upbringing in the Chelsea Hotel and her memoir The influence of Viva and the New York counterculture The relationship between life experiences and artistic creation The mythic status of the Chelsea Hotel and its impact on artists The role of technology in Michel Auder's video art The concept of living authentically versus performing for the camera The influence of fame and art world dynamics on personal life The creative process and the ongoing evolution of Michel Auder's work
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Michel and Alexandra Auder 01:55 Michel Auder's early life and move to New York 03:51 Alexandra's upbringing in the counterculture 05:46 The influence of Viva and the Chelsea Hotel 08:00 Living life as art and the role of technology 10:03 Family, relationships, and the myth of the Chelsea Hotel 11:52 The intersection of life, art, and memory 14:08 Michel's approach to filmmaking and video art 15:57 Reflections on fame, art world, and authenticity 18:00 Parenthood, love, and the experience of living authentically 20:02 The creative process and future projects 22:29 - The Chelsea Hotel as myth, workplace, and lived reality 26:01 - Making art from life and the camera as constant presence 29:03 - Boring details, labor, and the magic of ordinary life 30:21 - Remains of the Day and Michel’s archive-based new work 33:25 - Being on camera before social media and the proto-millennial experience 36:23 - Warhol, the Factory, and fame as a mixed blessing 40:10 - The Chelsea’s transformation 43:13 - Michel on the art world, survival, and power 46:39 - Alex on yoga, capitalism, and rejecting spiritual branding 49:12 - Michel on magical moments with Alex 53:30 - How big life feels when art and identity are inseparable 57:14 - Michel’s upcoming show and the making of Remains of the Day 60:46 - Alex on The Plaisant, medieval jesters, and quantum entanglement 63:05 - Closing thoughts Counterproductive is a podcast about how people live—authors, nomads, scientists, visual artists, and others whose ways of being bend against the ordinary. Each conversation lingers less on résumé and more on rhythm: how a life is made, how meaning is stitched together, how imagination might serve as a compass in chaotic times.
Hosted by Nato Thompson with producer Marisa Mazria Katz, the series drifts between art, politics, and the everyday, searching out voices who remind us there are countless ways of living a life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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