Note # 6: Everyday I Pray for Love

It’s Friday at 9:30 AM and probably around 30 degrees Fahrenheit, feeling more like 20. I’m in line for the new Yayoi Kusama installation with my dad’s old leather jacket, cause you know I’m hip, only to have it backfire since leather won’t keep you warm in the winter. I was ready to quit and go home but the door to the gallery was in sight; I have come too far already. You have to give it to New Yorkers cause even though I sound insane for doing this, rest assured I wasn’t the only one; at that point the line wrapped around 2 blocks. Whether dedicated to the art (or the gram) we’re all enduring the cold together.

The actual exhibit had no line but this year’s infinity mirror installation did. And if that’s not enough , the experience only lasts you exactly one minute! So was it really worth it?…HELL YEAH! I can’t tell you much about Yayoi Kusama but the mass following she has attained in the past few years is a testament to her immersive art and how it connects to people. Concepts that are so simple, yet hugely impactful, making you feel all of them feels. In Dancing Lights that Flew Up To The Universe, you’re completely entrapped in a giant box, with what probably are Christmas lights, with mirrors on every side truly making it feel endless and as if you’re floating in space.

With so many gimmicky Instagram exhibits recently popping up and all using the same streamline tactics such as brightly colored rooms and interesting lighting it’s almost easy to place Kusama’s collection amongst them.

So what’s different about this one?

In many of these Instagram layouts you are able to feel the emptiness, as if you the individual needs to interact and be centered in the room in order to breathe life into an otherwise soulless room. But this is where true art kicks in. Yayaoi Kusama completely encaptures you in her art evoking feelings and questioning life itself. Whether it’s the pumpkin striking your inner trypophobia or the water drops nostalgic of rainy car drives, their sole purpose is for you to stop for a second and get in touch with those emotions.

My favorite piece was the infinity ladder. Given where I currently am in life it spoke to me the most. The entire room is pitch dark with a neon ladder centered for everyone to observe. Two mirrors are placed on both ends giving the illusion that it never ends. Either you’re shooting all the way down to Earth’s core or soaring to great heights; it’s ultimately about what type of person you are. Like most things in life, you choose what steps to take and those will impact where you find yourself on the ladder; going up or going down. Sure there are external factors and in this case it’s every observant of the ladder (your life), but personally how I feel these days is that I’m my own worst enemy. Every fear and doubt that I have is holding me back of continuing to achieve the things that I want from this life. Both directions are clear to me and there’s an ideal state of where and how I picture my future self, but it’s ultimately up to me to that stride to go upwards no matter who or how many observants there are in the room.

Well that’s enough deep thoughts from me. All I can say is that if you find yourself around the Chelsea area this exhibit is worth stopping by. Maybe you’ll feel something maybe you won’t, but Every Day I Pray for Love is a journal of emotions taking form into shapes that can be processed by the human eye. For all those moments that you couldn’t pour out your emotions, Yayoi Kusama has made them into real life object for you.

Located at the David Zwirner Gallery on 537 W20th street through December 14th, 2019

Open Tuesday - Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM

Note #5: On a Personal Note

There is something very humbling about going back to your parent’s country. As a child my parents would take me and my brother to Peru every summer. That slowly became every two years, then three, and eventually led to today where I haven’t been back in about five years.

This time it was different though. The most exciting part for me was being able to share this experience with five other friends. We were able to see all the different sides of Peru; few people realize how diverse and segmented the country is. Going through three different terrains we were able to understand the beauty of the land, which is so much more than just Machu Picchu.

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Food is also such an important part of any trip to Peru, and our experience dining at Central Restaurant in Lima was able to be both unconventional and whole-heartedly traditional Peruvian.

The experience at Virgilio’s Central in Lima, Peru really told the timeless story of Peru like never before. Virgilio was deeply inspired by the diverse ecosystems all existing within Peru and he and his team travel every corner of the country to collect unconventional ingredients and build dishes inspired by each different altitude. Every place we visited, from the desert of Huacachina to the impossibly high altitudes of the Vicuna Mountains (Rainbow Mountain) were represented in his creative and unbelievably delicious dishes.

Location: Central, Lima

Another element to the story of Virgilio that resonated with me was the freedom he was seeking from the monotony of his life in the city of Lima. Ultimately, he found great success in the European classic culinary circles but he was never truly happy until he was able to pursue his own creative concept in his home country. There was something very humbling about that. This sense of escapism is not unique to people living in New York City. It made me realize that no matter how far you go, it’s important to stay grounded and be grateful of your roots. For me, that is both Lima and New York City.

I couldn’t help but laugh when a friend recently roasted me with a sarcastic, “If I know anything about Clive it’s that he’s NOT bougie, so humble and never looks down on people,” but in retrospect I needed to reconnect with my roots in  Peru to recenter and humble myself, as I definitely am guilty of two of three. (I’m Bad and Boujee, who are we kidding).

I haven’t been great at keeping in touch with my relatives in Peru and I haven’t been able to see them in five years. Despite this, they gave unconditional hospitality and love to my friends and I without expecting anything in return. This really made me think about what traditional values I may have lost along the way in my fast-paced, monotonous and stereotypical superficial New York life. Our time is valuable and we do not do anything without a purpose behind it (whether it be good or bad). It was a great change to see a group people enjoy the gift of life and not become obsessed with the superficial drama and malaise that is a byproduct of living in a big city.

Taken By: Daniel Li

To keep it short I feel grateful for the experience I’ve had, with the people who could drive me crazy but that I still have love for. Maybe this note isn’t for everyone but more so it serves for me to stay in this mindset and not stray too far away. Life will take me through all elevations but there’s only one that I’m most familiar with. One that has been part of my upbringing and molded the person I am today and for that I’m grateful!

P.S The sand dunes at Huacachina was my favorite part of the trip. So hop on a dune buggy and grab a board, I promise you that you’ll feel alive.

Note #4: When in Good Company.

It is common to get asked “how was your trip?” when returning from a vacation, after you’ve inevitably posted hundreds of pics on the gram.  For the most part my answers are always the same perfunctory replies. I’ll talk about all the great food I ate and point out some restaurants, or how beautiful and aesthetically pleasing it was, and talk about how clear and blue the water was, and the great night life it has . But to me what really makes a trip worthwhile is the experiences I’ve shared with old friends, new friends, and even strangers I’ll never see again.

What I loved most about Greece is its people. Every single person I’ve met (including uncle Leelee - this one’s for you Lou. Sorry for the insider but it’s too funny) was filled with such great energy, laughter and smiles all around. I can’t blame them, the weather is perfect and even in hard times it’s hard to imagine things to be sad about.

Location: Santorini, Greece

For the greater portion of my life I would befriend people and stay friends with them no matter the consequence. Whether they were toxic or simply made me feel lesser, I would stick it out for show. Maybe because they were cool in my eyes or just created this facade of being a great friend group. I can say that I’ve finally got out of that and am fortunate to be surrounded with the people that I call my friends today. For these past couple of days I was struggling as to what my next note to you guys would be. I knew it was going to be about my trip to Greece, but I didn’t want it to be cliche. For that, you can go onto Instagram and scroll through the endless feed of instagrammers who are vacationing in Santorini. It wasn't until this morning that I read an article on HighSnobiety that it all tied together.

Kanye Tweeted:

“How to NOT kill yourself pt 1

Avoid being around people who make you want to kill yourself”

As I go through my 20’s fake friendships have become less valuable to me. Those friendships that at one time seemed worth keeping don’t align with my current values and through experience alone you realize what’s really important, part of which makes traveling such an important growth experience for self reflection.

All this tying back to the absolute best part of this trip; the people I was around with. That in and of itself made this one of the most memorable trips I’ve ever had and has continued to reinforce the fact that the energy you surround yourself with will impact your experience.

Note #3: Are you free?

On a recent drive back from Napa, in a convertible, top down, friend turns to me and asks: “when have you felt the most free?”

I didn’t hesitate to answer because to this day its still my most memorable moment. My friends and I finally arrive at our villa in Phucket. The first couple of days backpacking through Bangkok and taking a morning flight to Phucket really drained us and we immediately had to crash. We didn’t have much planned for the day figuring that it would mostly be traveling and settling ourselves in. Our host, this super rad Australian man who decided to move fulltime to Thailand on a whim, left us four bikes we could use to get around the southern part of the island. We didn’t know where we were going, but since we had nothing planned we decided to ride out to wherever we would find ourselves in. We took the main road south and hit a beach that was completely empty. A signed that we missed, because 10 minutes later after it started raining. In Thailand, when it rains it pours.

We made our choice and stayed, we got this far so what point would it make to bike back home? We would be equally as drenched. We left our stuff on the shore and ran straight into the water. It had to be something out of a movie. The background was cloudy and filled with haze while two island mounds created an ethereal, picturesque backdrop. The feeling was surreal and I can never find the proper words to describe that moment. It felt as if we had discovered an uncharted island and we were left to our own devices. Maybe something similar to what freedom feels like?

The rain didn’t die down but the whole time we were out swimming I couldn’t help myself but scream out into the distance. Then everyone else joined in and we howled, yelled, laughed and it felt fucking awesome. As the rain died down we swam back to the shore and just looked out into the ocean. Still dark cloudy and full of mystery. Where am I? I mean yes this is Phuket but for a second I felt that this place had no name and that liberated me.

It was time to turn back. My friends were ahead of me but I had to stay for just one more second because I knew that that moment was over. I needed to look out once more and remember this place because it was the one time I felt the most free. And maybe I should be doing more of that…

Note #2: I Hate LA.

Now before all my West Coasters eat me alive, just hear me out. During my recent trip to LA, with my New Yorker lens on, I constantly tried to walk or use public transportation and experienced repeated defeat because you cannot get anywhere without a car. LA seems like such so slow life.

It wasn’t until finally settled into Santa Monica where the appeal all began to make sense. Seeing different people tourists, locals, etc, coming together to enjoy Los Angeles’ perfect weather and accessible beaches. A sense of freedom overcame me and I realized that I’d been doing LA a disservice by experiencing it through the eyes of an East Coaster. That’s exactly what you’re NOT supposed to do. There is no actual need to rush anywhere because everywhere is pretty awesome. What you should be doing instead is investing every minute living in the now. I think this concept is something the west coast prides itself in. Interacting with their surrounding, the mountains, beaches, and in many ways leaving behind what has been lost through the rapid technological advancements. So whether you're hiking, shredding some waves, soaking up the sun, eating at one of the many tasty restaurants, it’s all about living in the now.

In LA time is not of the essence. And taking a break from the hectic lifestyle we lead as new yorkers put things into perspective to remember what ultimately is meaningful to me. I don’t think humans were made to be contained in cubicles within corporate america but rather set up to explore, engage in new experiences and connect with others. To immerse yourself with your surroundings rather than just live in it. And although I was renewed and motivated, by LA, to get back on the grind I started missing its laid-back lifestyle and wish to be laying down on the beach while soaking up some sun (Don't forget the sun block, I got my first sunburn in LA).

Note #1: Minimalism.

Not so long ago I saw a documentary on Netflix titled Minimalism. My main problem with it, and the movement as a whole, is that it depicted these people as crazy outsiders that chose to remove themselves from capitalism for no good reason. But the reason in and of itself is to find a meaning outside of material possession.

There is a misconception of minimalism; it’s unrealistic and pure hippie talk. There is also a societal misconception that in order to be happy we have to surround ourselves with many goods. Especially in New York City, where everyone is working to obtain “more”. Everyone is seeking to establish their superior status through a collection of things. New Yorkers want to be tangibly rewarded for all the amount of hours they put in. Personally, I’m interested and open to the idea of decreasing my things to increase value in my life in other ways.

In retrospect none of the highlights in my life have been obtaining goods. They have been moments where I have felt the most free, the most alive. Minimalism isn’t about having less, but rather obtaining much more. More meaningful connections, more memories and more time. I can’t deny that I like the finer things, but that mansion you strive to attain or luxe car will not follow you to the grave. When old age comes, I would like to look back on the moments I spent doing much more rather than chasing creature comforts. And if these ideas categorize me as a crazy person than I am happy being so.