--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I want to bring back the human encounter…" description: "\"I want to bring back the human encounter into places where material things have a prime status. In a museum, you're supposed to look at things and not ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg" --- # I want to bring back the human encounter into places where… ![“I want to bring back the human encounter into places where material things have a prime status. In a museum, you're supposed to look at things and not talk to other people.” quote by Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg) > “I want to bring back the human encounter into places where material things have a prime status. In a museum, you're supposed to look at things and not talk to other people.” [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates prioritizing human interaction over object-focused experiences in cultural spaces. **In simple terms:** People should connect, not just observe objects. Key Takeaway Encourage dialogue in museums. Themes human connection museum culture experience social interaction Mood contemplative thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - museum visits - gallery tours - educational workshops - community events Key Concepts phenomenology embodied cognition participatory art Questions to Reflect On - How can museums balance quiet reflection with social engagement? - What design changes foster conversation? A Different Perspective Some visitors may prefer quiet contemplation over conversation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Encounter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encounter/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Material things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/material-things/) [Museum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museum/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status/) ## Related quotes > [The moment you introduce difference into a museum, then the privileged space is contested, and under the most ideal circumstances what all artists want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-james-marshall/the-moment-you-introduce-difference-into-a-museum-then-the-privileged/) [Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-james-marshall/) > [Material things are not helpful after a certain degree of saturation. So you turn to other products. I think that therapy is a product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/material-things-are-not-helpful-after-a-certain-degree-of-saturation/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [I'm not against the intergenerational function of the museum, I am not against its address or celebration of the individual, but I am against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-m-not-against-the-intergenerational-function-of-the-museum-i-am-not/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Anytime you have a difficult encounter with your child, there is a good chance that at least one of these factors is bringing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-rindner-tempelsman/anytime-you-have-a-difficult-encounter-with-your-child-there-is-a/) [Cathy Rindner Tempelsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-rindner-tempelsman/) > [Generally speaking, moving water is the most dangerous thing you can encounter underground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-stone/generally-speaking-moving-water-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-you-can/) [William Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-stone/) > [“Is this the truth of our historic encounter?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/is-this-the-truth-of-our-historic-encounter/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [To every soul you encounter, be a mirror, which reflects only their beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-every-soul-you-encounter-be-a-mirror-which-reflects-only-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A full-blooded encounter for a number of reasons, many of them illegitimate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-champion/a-full-blooded-encounter-for-a-number-of-reasons-many-of-them/) [Jon Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-champion/) > [“With every new encounter with God your vision becomes clearer and sharper”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/with-every-new-encounter-with-god-your-vision-becomes-clearer-and/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [An encounter with god or with the transcendent, per se, can only occur when we experience the violent side of god.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-encounter-with-god-or-with-the-transcendent-per-se-can-only-occur/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've just grown up a lot and started to encounter some of the big decisions of life in terms of what career I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-norris/i-ve-just-grown-up-a-lot-and-started-to-encounter-some-of-the-big/) [Lee Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-norris/) > [“An “event” is something that happens that does not quite fit into our established system of knowledge, and so it will appear to us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-t-conard/an-event-is-something-that-happens-that-does-not-quite-fit-into-our/) Mark T. Conard > [The impulse to paint comes neither from observation nor from the soul (which is probably blind) but from an encounter: the encounter between painter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/the-impulse-to-paint-comes-neither-from-observation-nor-from-the-soul/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [A crisis is a close encounter of the third kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-finley/a-crisis-is-a-close-encounter-of-the-third-kind/) [Guy Finley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-finley/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) ## More by Tino Sehgal > [I have this belief that if you have an idea, and you have to write it down to remember it, then it can't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-have-this-belief-that-if-you-have-an-idea-and-you-have-to-write-it/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [As a culture or a civilisation, we are a bit juvenile; it's like 'Oh, I have all this power, whoa, this is so cool,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/as-a-culture-or-a-civilisation-we-are-a-bit-juvenile-it-s-like-oh-i/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [For the general public, my work is sometimes easier than a painting because there is someone addressing you; it can actually be a relief.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/for-the-general-public-my-work-is-sometimes-easier-than-a-painting/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [What my work is about is, 'Can something that is not an inanimate object be considered valuable?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/what-my-work-is-about-is-can-something-that-is-not-an-inanimate/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Our culture is hung up on and overemphasises what can be derived from material objects. I think this is something quite new, over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/our-culture-is-hung-up-on-and-overemphasises-what-can-be-derived-from/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [I'm not against the intergenerational function of the museum, I am not against its address or celebration of the individual, but I am against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-m-not-against-the-intergenerational-function-of-the-museum-i-am-not/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Material things are not helpful after a certain degree of saturation. So you turn to other products. I think that therapy is a product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/material-things-are-not-helpful-after-a-certain-degree-of-saturation/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [In preindustrial times, the idea of creating something was more related to your personality. Personality was something that you constructed; it's something you had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/in-preindustrial-times-the-idea-of-creating-something-was-more/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [The nature of my work is my subjectivity meshed with other people's subjectivity. So there's a correspondence with that... Even if you write about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/the-nature-of-my-work-is-my-subjectivity-meshed-with-other-people-s/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Because of this high status of the object in our culture, something has to be a thing. Live efforts are almost marginal. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/because-of-this-high-status-of-the-object-in-our-culture-something/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [I don't see myself as somebody who looks particularly good in photos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-don-t-see-myself-as-somebody-who-looks-particularly-good-in-photos/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [My father had to flee from what is today Pakistan when he was a child, and he became a manager at IBM, and any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/my-father-had-to-flee-from-what-is-today-pakistan-when-he-was-a-child/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Attention is the material I work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/attention-is-the-material-i-work-with/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Photographs are two-dimensional. I work in four dimensions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/photographs-are-two-dimensional-i-work-in-four-dimensions/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) > [Kids are very sensitive to the value system of their parents, and I just felt my parents were attaching too much importance, too much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/kids-are-very-sensitive-to-the-value-system-of-their-parents-and-i/) [Tino Sehgal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) [Explore all 25 Tino Sehgal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/) ## More Artist quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [True works of art contain their own theory and give us the measurement according to which we should judge them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/true-works-of-art-contain-their-own-theory-and-give-us-the/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [“People in coats and ties were milling around the Talley gallery, and on the wall were the minimally rendered still lifes by Giorgio Morandi,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/people-in-coats-and-ties-were-milling-around-the-talley-gallery-and/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“So, really," continued Jacob as if this were perfectly normal to expound on art in these circumstances, "when you think about it, the artists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justina-chen-headley/so-really-continued-jacob-as-if-this-were-perfectly-normal-to-expound/) [Justina Chen Headley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justina-chen-headley/) > [“There are two options in art; either to adopt philosophical life by dissecting art, or to write your own philosophical life and claim it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taf-teh/there-are-two-options-in-art-either-to-adopt-philosophical-life-by/) Taf Teh > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [The sublime in art is the attempt to express the infinite without finding in the realm of phenomena any object which proves itself fitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/the-sublime-in-art-is-the-attempt-to-express-the-infinite-without/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [Art isn't done to decorate apartments, but to wage war against the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/art-isn-t-done-to-decorate-apartments-but-to-wage-war-against-the/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Designers shouldn’t design for museums any more than mummies should die for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-caplan/designers-shouldn-t-design-for-museums-any-more-than-mummies-should/) [Ralph Caplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-caplan/) > [I don't believe in competitions between artists. This is insane. Who has the authority to say someone is better?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-arkin/i-don-t-believe-in-competitions-between-artists-this-is-insane-who/) [Alan Arkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-arkin/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [I am a horrible visual artist. I can't fix a car, sew, knit, cook, etc. Statistically, there is more I don't do than do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-brownstein/i-am-a-horrible-visual-artist-i-can-t-fix-a-car-sew-knit-cook-etc/) [Carrie Brownstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-brownstein/) [Browse all 32,600 Artist quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I want to bring back the human encounter into places where material things have a prime status. In a museum, you're supposed to look at things and not talk to other people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tino Sehgal" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter-into-places-where-material/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Artist" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter-into-places-where-material/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7aa/tino-sehgal-23847_artist_i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter_2638177.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I want to bring back the human encounter into places where material things have a prime status. In a museum…” — Tino Sehgal", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tino Sehgal", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tino-sehgal/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I want to bring back the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter-into-places-where-material/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tino-sehgal/i-want-to-bring-back-the-human-encounter-into-places-where-material/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```