KB: Dear Alex, How was Paris?

ADC: Dear Keri,

It was great. I love everything about Paris. They just re-hung the Pompidou collection and it’s wonderful
—so much work I had never seen before, particularly this Giacometti table sculpture. I also saw an amazing Marcel Broodthaers show and then went to Lyon briefly.

KB: Did you find a good salade Lyonnaise?

ADC: I actually didn’t eat any salade Lyonnaise but I ate the most steak tartare and cheese one could possibly eat.

KB: Was it the Jardin du Luxembourg you were looking for? As wonderful as we left it?

ADC:Yes it was that Jardin. I was having really fond memories of you, Brian, and I walking around the city. There were lots of people sailing handmade boats in the fountain as well, and that was just perfect.

KB: What were you doing in Copenhagen?

ADC: I was visiting the Louisiana Museum because I will be reinstalling the work Delirium I there this Winter. I was also in Herning briefly to visit the HEART Museum. They have an amazing Manzoni Collection and had a really great show of new work by Dan Colen.

KB: How’s planning for your retrospective at Mass MoCA? Do you need to borrow anything from me? I have that snake... but I guess you would need all the others...

ADC: Planning is okay. I am not really thinking of it as a retrospective, but rather a waking dream, some kind of remix of my life and my work as I remember it happening. Elastic Reality. I am slowly gathering things I have given to people or lost over the years and making a graveyard with the works. It's extremely fun to revisit yourself in this slow unwinding way.

KB: Speaking of snakes, have you made any recently?

ADC: I haven’t made any snakes recently but think about those every time I see someone with painted nails, which is like everyday. My friend recently bought me a beautiful necklace which is a gold snake made of snake chain. It will probably end up in a sculpture soon...

KB: I just googled “alex da corte snake” and this amazing image of you vomiting came up. Do you still have that hat? Can I have it?

ADC: Ha funny. I think that image is of me with a sculpture of fake vomit that I made. I love fake vomit so much, although I’m not terribly fond of vomiting. The hat was originally made for Jayson Musson's Hennessy Youngman video on Beauty. I'm not sure if he has it or if I do—things often get lost in the shuffle.

KB: I’ve never interviewed anyone before, but I get the feeling I’m supposed to pull out some gossip. Do you have any?

ADC: Ha, no gossip although I hear a lot regarding these young pop stars and it’s fine.

KB: How about anything strange that has happened to you lately?

ADC: I woke up today.

KB: That reminds me, do people in Philly still wear their pajamas all day with Adidas slide sandals and socks?

ADC: Yes everyday, all day. They do it really well. Waking dreams. Always ready to be asleep at any moment.

KB: What else have you been working on?

ADC: I just shot a new video for the Lyon Biennale and am getting ready for a show at the Boijmans Museum in Rotterdam, in which I am using their collection and riffing on a painting by Magritte called The Living Mirror.

KB: Your collaborations in the Die Hexe were my favorite. Anyone you’ve collaborated with in the past that you’d like to collaborate with again?

ADC:I absolutely loved collaborating with Dev Hynes and Jayson Musson for Easternsports. I'd also love to work with Paul Thek, Christian Holstad, Karen Kilimnik, and Polly Apfelbaum again. They are just magic makers that inspire me so much.

KB: I’m sure you have a list of people you’d like to collaborate with. Anyone you’d like to share?

ADC: I love so many artists but I keep thinking of Kate Levant, Jo Nigoghossian, Nancy Lupo, Andrew Gbur, Borna Sammak, and Sam McKinniss lately. They are all really great visual poets.

KB: I’m running out of ideas... Let’s talk about firsts. When did you first know you wanted to be an artist?

ADC: Ever since my mom taught me how to draw, I just knew I wanted to make cartoons.

KB: First kiss?

ADC: Her name was Nicole Martino. It was snowing.

KB: Do you remember when we met? I can’t.

ADC: I actually can’t remember. My memory from the entire 2000s is very fuzzy.

KB: How about all those trips between New Haven, New York City, and Philly? Remember that time we found Ian running down the West Side Highway with a sword?

ADC: Yes I drove my car into the ground doing that. I think I still do that though, like I drive to Massachusetts every week so that I can think (and sing) and it’s really inspiring to see the world. Yes, I remember Ian stole that sword from his ex brother-in-law. I love that sword. It has an amazing serpent on the handle and red rubies for eyes. Its one of the nicest gifts I ever received.

KB: Did he give you your first stick and poke?

ADC: My first stick and poke was on my hand, but we gave each other matching bone tattoos.

KB: How many do you have anyway?

ADC: I have about 15 now.

KB: When will you be in the city next? Let’s have a cute lunch.

ADC: I will be in the city soon. Let’s get salade Lyonnaise. Love you.

KB: Love you.