Lars Bang Larsen Interview

Lars Bang Larsen and I sat down across from each other at the bustling Japonica lunch, his demeanor was precise and yet friendly. I had heard much about this young curator and with such a striking name one hoped for some exotic sword swallower with a flashy orange head scraf and a missing arm. While the package proved to be fairly standard, the goods inside were anything but.

Lars Bang Larsen, curator and writer

From the starting gun this interview was a dilly. I have done many interviews in my life and the rule is generally the subject of the interview does all the talking. It is a rare day when the interviewee flips it back on the interviewer and I end up doing most of the talking, but such was the case at first with Lars.

Just to give you a taste, our conversation ranged from hippie communes, organized unions for bands with light shows, food fights, Jacob Holdt, the most dangerous part of town, the weight of Sao Paolo, Sweet Movie, and even touch on social justice in the arts.

Catch more of Lars Bang Larsen at the Creative Time Summit: Revolutions in Public Practice, at the NY Public Library main Manhattan branch, October 23-24, 2009.

This one is dynamite! Not to be missed.

Listen to the full interview here: