For me, art is first and foremost communication, and in that respect it definitely helps us to understand the world – or, as I prefer to put it, it helps us to change our point of view for a while and see the familiar from a new perspective. In my writing, my intention has always been to help people see the chaos of modern society as a game, instead of dismissively abandoning hope. Incidentally, that is a very Swiss way of understanding art.
The fact that we live in a direct democracy means that communication is all. We have to maintain the values of a functioning society, because if we don’t, this system – which we all love – will collapse. Society also constantly expects us to work for it, take part in social debates and put ourselves at the service of the community. This is different from the way culture is understood in other European nations, which historically were based on monarchies and in which, even to this day, art is perceived primarily as having a representative function. That in turn means that it doesn’t need to be comprehensible as long as it is impressive. And that is a very “un-Swiss” way of defining art.

(Translated by Geoff Spearing)