The Gates

A documentary about the artist Christos’s three decade struggle to get a project approved & displayed in NYC’s Central Park →

https://youtu.be/LAB4kHgLHOc?si=eAlR7DTHQWGBNL7Q

I liked this movie when I first saw, but loved it for one scene: Someone asks Christo if going though all the bureaucracy, setbacks, and issues is worth it to get the art displayed. His response is that all the struggles are part of the art; that the process to get the installation displayed is an intricate aspect of the art. Whoa. I remember how surprised I was to hear that, and have thought about it ever since.

It’s not the destination alone, it’s also the journey to the destination that matters. Expect the struggle, accept when it’s happening, and embrace it. Sure, it’s pure cheese that we’ve all heard before, but, to hear about it in this context was eye-opening to me then.

At least that’s how I remember the scene — it’s been many years, and journeys, since I last watched it.