The public park

The umbrella

On 6 June, Oskar Serti had just climbed onto this old chestnut crate when the rain started to fall (a). He instinctively opened his umbrella (b), then considered that it was perhaps symbolically not very glorious to thus shelter himself while making this type of address of which he felt himself invested. However, as soon as he folded his umbrella (c), the rain started to fall so heavely that he opened it again to avoid becoming completely drenched (d). But when he noticed a large number of naked heads around him, without an instant’s hesitation, he put it away once and for all to start his address (e). Unfortunately, at this precise moment, all those people who had rushed towards him, departed, profoundly disappointed to see that he who had just been gesticulating on his crate was not the providential umbrella peddler they had imagined.

Aux alentours : Marronier sauvage, probablement né à la suite du passage d’Oskar Serti à cet endroit.

The spider

On 15 June, settled upon this old walnut crate, Oskar Serti was himself amazed by the impact which his violent diatribes against fascism had on an audience which seemed to be hanging on his every word (a). Until that time, Serti had never known this intense emotion of feeling a public so absorbed by his remarks. Throughout his speech, he became inebriated (b) by these wide eyes, these knit brows, these tense smiles, thes anxious faces standing before him. He even felt for an instant, the weight of his own words surpassed by the ardent expression of the public.
Once, when he wanted to wipe with the back of his hand his forehead drenched by the excitement, Serti noticed on his wrist a huge spider which had probably escaped from his walnut crate. He forthwith uttered a cry of horror (c).
When he realisd the profound disappointment of the public at his reaction he understood that all of these people had only seen in his evocation of Terror nothing
but this repugnant eight-legged creature whith they had followed until then on the body of a man whose cold-bloodedness had awoken an infinite admiration in them (d).

Aux alentours : Pruniers sauvages, probablement nés à la suite du passage d’Oskar Serti à cet endroit.

The fall

On 12 June, Oskar Serti wanted to climb onto this old hazelnut crate to commence his address (a). Unfortunately, it had rained so much in the preceding days that the ground, completely drenched, made the crate sink in, provoking Oskar Serti’s spectacular loss of balance (b). Pulled backwards, he was only able to avoid an ineluctable fall thanks to a remarkable pull-up which nonetheless carried him so far forward that he had to cramp on to the corner of the crate so as to not fall flat on his face (c). When he finally wished to regain a position more in harmony with his intentions, the contact with his foot, much too covered in mud, with the board, threw him into the air, making him rebound, miraculously still upright, onto the crate (d).
Once having regained his composure, Oskar Serti finally attempted to start speaking, but even before opening his mouth, he saw with stupefaction, the persons gathered around him applaud frantically, toss him a few coins and then depart ostensibly satisfied.

Aux alentours : Cerisier sauvage, probablement né à la suite du passage d’Oskar Serti à cet endroit.

Language

On June 11, Oskar serti climbed onto this apple crate to find the necessary height for his requisition (a).
Never before had he felt so comfortable to make an adress; the words he pronounced adhered wonderfully to his thoughts and came out of his mouth with an ease which he hadn’t experienced for years (b). Serti thus rediscovered with happiness this deep conviction which, when he was a child, had helped him face many a trial.
Despite however this unexpected grace, no one paid attention to him. Oblivious to his remarks, the strollers passed by him without even a glance. The presence of an old gentleman, alone, who had stopped to listen to him carefully, enabled Serti to finish his intervention with passion (c).
When he came off of his crate, Serti saw his spectator approach him, asking with curiosity what that strange language was which he had used throughout his address.
Serti then realised with horror that he had just been speaking in Hungarian, his impassioned exhortation having plunged him unconsciously back into his mother tongue (d)..

Aux alentours : Cassis sauvages, probablement nés à la suite du passage d’Oskar Serti à cet endroit.

In may of 1937, a few days after the tragedy of Guernica, the writer Oskar Serti went to Central Park to warn the population against the dangers of totalitarianism. Therefore for more than a week, he went into improvised diatribes, perched on old fruit crates borrowed from local greengrocers.