April 2004
Ladies and gentlemen
I would like to tell you all what a great pleasure it is for me to be here...
...and so on. Yes folks, although I haven´t really just won an Oscar - I feel pretty good right now cos I´ve finally been granted an unlimited permit to go on doing my work here in Germany for as long as I want - and what I would love to do is thank a whole swag of good people who have made this possible, but I won´t because I can´t - there are too many. That´s the way it always is I guess - the people behind the scenes, and before the scene was even dreamt up; the mentors, critics, editors, family, ex wives, girlfriends, gallerists, drug dealers etc - all the people who wittingly or not somehow helped one to get to that significant point in their lives.
But there is (this always happens in the best speeches!) one guy that deserves a special mention, mainly because I had this portrait of him handy (canned laughter please!), and that´s Herr Fabian Williges. He took me in, almost literally off the street shortly after my arrival in Germany back in ´98 - when I was struggling (not that I´m not anymore, don´t get me wrong) - fed me, clothed me, taught me some German, and generally put up with me for a few months until I was able to move on to the factory where I still live today. But not only that - he´s a bit of a talented man! Singer, song-writer, photographer, teacher, and great tea maker...we spent many a freezing winter´s evening huddled over his gas stove drinking tea (he didn´t have any money in those days either) and talking about everything. We even co-wrote and recorded one or two songs, for example "The Dirty Dishes Blues" which I wouldn´t really recommend you think about too long - but the idea was good, or you had to be there at the time. By the way - this is all a bit of a warning to those who think they might wanna emulate this move of mine - it has been more difficult than I want to tell you, and it still is a serious battle, despite my jokes about it!
But back to Fabian: the reason I want to mention him now is because he has taken on the unenviable task of translating into German all the texts I´ve concocted and that you´ve suffered over these past five years - for an exhibition which should take place later this year. In addition, he has translated a very complicated poem written for my Canal Series by New Zealander David Howard - which will also be exhibited sometime soon.
I don´t know how to wrap this up - so, just a big thank you - to Fabian, and the many others like him who make things like this possible.
Keep going!
Cheers,
Dean