William Kentridge: In Defence of the Less Good Idea

‘Maybe there sadly doesn’t exist a solution, only a series of less bad ideas.’ In conversation with William Kentridge on how ideas, especially the bad ones, come to fruition.

William Kentridge is one of the most prominent artists of our time. His work spans charcoal drawings, animation, film, theatre and opera. A multifaceted body of work in which his distinctive artistic signature nevertheless always remains clearly visible. Kentridge’s work often reflects on the political history of South Africa and has been exhibited around the world, most recently in Amsterdam at the Stedelijk Museum, Eye and the Holland Festival.

In his hometown of Johannesburg, Kentridge founded the Centre for the Less Good Idea, an interdisciplinary art studio catering to hundreds of local artists that are given the opportunity to experiment and fail. ‘A safe place to do stupid things’, according to Kentridge. A space where less good ideas can grow. Because they are the ones that often turn out to have the greatest potential. 

In his newest book Doctrines of Affection, William Kentridge looks back at the twists and turns that shaped the Centre for the Less Good Idea and his art practice, and discovers that the detours may have been more important than the destination.

Together with William Kentridge, we explore how creative ideas come to fruition and why uncertainty, collaboration and absurdity are so important to the process of creating art in a world that seems so focused on efficiency, rationality and productivity.