KATJA EICHINGER
KATJA EICHINGER is wearing the Twister No.001. She is an author living in Munich and Berlin.
What is the first thing you do in the morning?
I drink a matcha latte whilst listening to the Financial Times’ daily podcast.
What is the last thing you do at night?
Bury myself deep under a heavy blanket.
Can you share some daily habits or rituals?
My whole day is structured around practicing the violin for about 45 minutes a day. Usually around 5pm. It centers me and calms the noise inside my head.
Who are your ideal guests?
I used to live in a kind of commune called The Heartbreak Hotel in North London, so I love having people stay with me. Especially the ones you just give a key to, they do their own thing and you meet for meals or maybe you go and see a show together or drive out to the lakes. I like it when guests give me the feeling of living in a commune for a few days.
What should we be reading?
I read a lot of contemporary US and UK fiction to the point that I immediately forget some of the books I just read. What really stood out from the blurr is Bret Easton Ellis’ The Shards and The New Life by Tom Crewe. I love the sound of Ellis’ writing and Crewe’s book is just incredibly sexy. My favorite writer however is Adam Phillips, the psychoanalyst. Reading anything by him will enrich your life.
What do you collect?
I don’t really like collecting. I don’t see the point in amassing objects. With the exception of books, vintage Yves Saint Laurent and Max Ernst lithographs maybe.
The best arthouse film(s)?
If.. by Lindsay Anderson, My Own Private Idaho by Gus van Sant, Naked by Mike Leigh, and Christiane F. by Uli Edel.
What stands the test of time?
You only find out once you’ve tested it. And even when something has withstood the unforgiving grind of life it’s still changing and adapting. You can’t dip into the same river twice.
What is your perfect meal?
Matcha Latte with coconut milk, gluten free cookies and the Financial Times Daily podcast. Big feasts with friends are also great.
Who are your inspirations?
Pretty much everybody and everything. Listening to people’s stories can be incredibly inspirational.
What takes you to cloud 9?
Sex and music.
Do you have a soundtrack to your life?
It keeps changing and growing but Spiritualized’s “Ladies and Gentlemen We’re Floating in Space” always stays. As does my very first record, the soundtrack to Lindsay Anderson’s “If….” - the Missa Luba.
Where would you find your doppelgänger?
I seem to have quite a few, as people tell me about them. Must be the hair. Also, I look a lot like my mum.
What is good design?
Functional yet kind. I’m more Eileen Gray than Le Corbusier.
What are you wearing?
A suite by Alex Eagle, a shirt by Husbands Paris, tie by LeoRosa
What is your favorite word in any language?
It’s not the words, it's the different kinds of melodies that I love about languages and dialects.
What is your favorite slogan?
Historical materialism not JUST about the love of antique fabrics.
What is most difficult to find in contemporary culture?
Appreciation of complexity and ambiguity.
What do you find most exciting in contemporary culture?
Young women discovering books through social media and reading a lot.
What is your favorite candy?
Cheap milk chocolate like a chocolate Santa wrapped in tin foil.
What is your favorite animal?
I’m both a cat and a dog person.
What was the first piece of cultural work that really mattered to you?
I grew up in Kassel so Joseph Beuys really shaped my sense of reality. All the adults were talking and arguing about him, it felt incredibly exciting. Also, when I was 7 years old , we drove past the large Richard Serra sculpture in front of the Friedricianum. I asked my mum: “What’s that?” She replied grumpily: “That’s art.” Just that short sentence really blew my mind. The art that I knew from books or museums looked so different. So this idea that art could be disturbing and scary like that rusty tower by Serra was to me as a kid, felt confusing and amazing at the same time.
What is a rule that should never be broken?
Rules really don’t interest me. Broken or unbroken. I just don’t think about it.
What is still a mystery?
I’m happy to say that I'm still utterly mystified by most aspects of life. Mystery is freedom and possibility.
Can you recall a dream?
I often dream about beautiful houses with odd corners and interesting rooms.
Who are your heroes or heroines in history?
Philipp Glass.
What is your favorite representation of simplicity?
The Latin and Greek alphabets. So simple and yet such wonderful gateways to shared consciousness and the human experience.
What is your favorite representation of complexity?
Las Meninas by Velasquez
The best cult classic?
Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division. Red lipstick. Bladerunner by Ridley Scott.
What are you bored by?
Continuous indignation.