Short interview to Gilbert & George

 

I have heard that Gilbert & George go to the same restaurant for dinner every night.

It is a Turkish restaurant in Hackney. I don’t want to tell you the name of the place because I want to respect their right to privacy.

Anyway, I decided to go there to talk to them.

I ate a Mangal Special with spinach, peppers, mushrooms, aubergine and cheese. The walls were salmon-colored and covered with pictures of maritime scenes.

Gilbert & George were seated at another table on my right, dressed with their usual suits.

When they finished eating, they went out from the restaurant and I followed them.

I said: Excuse me, can I ask you just one question, please?

They said very friendly: Sure.

I said: Why do you collaborate?

They said: We don’t collaborate.

I said very surprised: No?

They said with intensity: No. We are two different people (pause). Just one artist.

 

I thought that this answer would be sufficient for an interview as it is so deep and clear.

A picture is worth a thousand words. In this interview, this answer is like a picture.

 

Filipa Guimarães, August 2011, London