To push or not to push, that was the question when We, Zarathustra the Cat sat for the great Belgian painter Rene Magritte for the true version of his iconic “Memory of a journey” depicting the leaning tower of Pisa supported by a feather:
Rene Magritte, Meowmory of a journey
You humans are weird beings, you built something too elaborate, like the Tower of Pisa, and then don’t think about the proper support for it.
Rene Magritte thought about it when created the masterpiece. What is the feather, you just blow slightly, and it is gone!
Meanwhile, he thought, a giant wise cat may bring more solid backing for such an ethereal structure.
Or he may not.
Cats are known for their unpredictable and independent character. They tend to do things just the opposite of what you expect from them.
The giant cat in the painting asks you, the spectator, what he should do with the Tower of Pisa, to push it, or not to push it?
Think twice before answering the question, having in mind what We have said about the cat’s behavior nature!
If you have a look at the commonly known version of the painting you would notice way less drama in it:
Rene Magritte, Memory of a Journey, 1958, the commonly known version
The tower relies on a giant feather, and humans think the feather’s size overrides its nature to fly away with the slightest wind.
You, humans, have built culture, democracy, and ideals of equality and freedom, but did you think about the proper support of them?
Now everything seems to be not that stable!
Do you think the fragile equilibrium will be kept by itself?
To make you think faster, a Celestial Cat appears in the true version of the famous painting and asks you, looking just inside the deepest corners of your soul:
Rene Magritte, Meowmory of a journey, close up
“To push, or not to push?”
Wake up, humans, the right answer and action are needed right meow!
Thus speaks Zarathustra the Celestial Cat
BUY THIS ARTWORK as a CANVAS PRINT or as a POSTER