Call the Cops! I'm an Artist

Written on October 21st 2007

Having the police and hotel manager called on me. Add that to the list of experience had while working on the 365 project. During tonight’s interview I was speaking to a pleasant lady from Buffalo, NY who happened to be in the lobby of the hotel I was also staying at. I started the interview and at first things were going fine. By the 5th question the receptionist had started asking what I was doing, I replied it was part of an art project. I didn’t think anything of it at first, as generally most people who see me doing the interview either don’t give a damn or are on the curious side. I continued and he then interrupted again asking if I’d talked to the hotel manger. I replied no, it was an ART project, and didn’t in fact concern the hotel in anyway. It was an independent art project and nothing more. I quickly rushed the next questions in order not to inconvenience the lady I was interviewing, and then asked her to initial the bottom of the interview to just verify she’d given consent to being in the project. By this point the receptionist was highly suspicious and ordered her not to sign it before he rudely threatened to call the police and hotel manager. Myself and the lady quickly headed for the elevators while he picked up the phone, and I got the interview initialed and a single shot before returning to my room so I wouldn’t have to deal with the manager and cops- which I assume would not be pleasant anywhere, but least of all in a foreign country where I only know words of the language.

This is the first time in my life someone has called the cops on me and I’m actually rather offended. Enough to now name the hotel which up till now would have remained nameless:
If you ever happen to be in Torremolinos, Spain you should avoid Apartamentos Bajondillo. Not only was I offended by their staff, but also the bathrooms are leaky, they do not supply even soap, the double suite advertized will have one real bed, another fold out from the closet, and when we arrived two of the light bulbs were dead. Which I could normally forgive due to the location, but on both sides of the hotel and all along the beach are other equally convenient establishments.

Asides from this incident, interviews have been a bit harder to get but not unpleasant. The language barrier makes finding someone a bit harder as I don’t know enough Spanish to do an interview, only to clarify the questions a little bit. I have no clue how the photos will turn out as just finding a person and completing the interview is challenging enough for now.