(ARTE – The Book of My Life)

This conversation between Jagoda Marinić and Jonathan Meese is more than just a portrait of an eccentric artist – it’s a radical manifesto for art, freedom, and personal responsibility. What makes this interview truly captivating is how it brings together two very different voices in an honest, thought-provoking dialogue.

I know Jagoda Marinić primarily from the podcast Apokalypse & Filterkaffee, where she regularly impresses with her sharp, thoughtful analysis. In this interview, she shows the same curiosity and strength, diving into Meese’s often wild world of thought without losing her footing – a skill not every interviewer possesses. She gives Meese space, but also challenges him with well-placed questions. The result is a conversation that’s deep, intense, and surprisingly intimate.

Jonathan Meese, on the other hand, appears not just as an artist, but as a thinker and seeker – someone who doesn’t provoke for provocation’s sake, but who rebels against rigid systems out of genuine conviction. His rejection of politics, religion, and all ideological constructs might seem extreme at first, but in truth, it strikes a nerve. Personally, I believe our current party system no longer reflects the times we live in. The structures through which political power is exercised often feel outdated – blocking innovation and creativity instead of encouraging them.

Meese offers an alternative: the “dictatorship of art.” What sounds like a bizarre slogan at first turns out to be a well-thought-out concept – art as a way of life, as play, as collective adventure free from ideological constraints. This is the true strength of the interview – the vision of a world where people take responsibility for themselves rather than being patronized. I was especially struck by Meese’s emphasis on childhood, on radio plays, on stories and adventures – things we often dismiss as adults, but that shape the core of our values.

His radical commitment to peace – without sugarcoating words like war or power – also feels strikingly relevant. In a time when weapons once again dominate global headlines, his clear message – “War is no solution” – comes across like an artistic cry straight into the heart of society. I firmly believe that humanity, after thousands of years, should finally have learned that violence cannot resolve conflict – only dialogue, understanding, and creativity can.

This conversation was an inspiring and clarifying experience for me. It not only deepened my understanding of Jonathan Meese’s work but also reinforced many of my own beliefs. The combination of Marinić’s analytical sharpness and Meese’s artistic radicalism makes this one of the most powerful and worthwhile ARTE interviews I’ve seen in a long time.

Fotos © ARTE ,  Jagoda Marinić and Jonathan Meese