When do you wake up? I’m up between half eight and half nine; there’s no alarm for a change. I stay in bed, indulging in the news and reviews from the weekend’s papers. I pull things out and scribble stuff down.
Do you breakfast or brunch? Rarely. I’m always thinking about my weight. Occasionally I’ll go for toast at Stockwell Continental, my go-to place.
Do you work? I’m often travelling or preparing for the week, but Sundays offer a time for reflection.
How important is fresh air? I spend some Sundays on Mersea Island, near Colchester. It’s just my mother now, since my father died. We go for a walk on the beach, swim, sail – weather permitting. I only exercise outside, never in the gym. Then it will be time for lunch at the Company Shed – they serve the best seafood.
Do you visit the Tate? I like going as a punter, but when you know all the people working it’s impossible to be invisible. Sundays are perfect for people-watching in the exhibitions. I love to see how people interact with our galleries. I don’t have time to during the week.
Do you shop? Not on a Sunday. Our lives are so ruined by shopping and spending, I need a day off from making those choices.
Last thing you check on your phone? I try not to, but obviously it’s Instagram. I’m interested in responses to the works of art I upload, to see what captures people’s imagination. It gives me an insight into what might work as a future exhibition.
Where on a Sunday are you happiest? On Heir Island, off the coast of West Cork, Ireland. That’s where my heart is. I’ve been holidaying there since I was six years old. It’s my place of escape: the wildness, the salt in the air, the absence of stress. It feels like home, the closest thing that I’ve ever had to continuity.
Nam June Paik runs until 9 February at Tate Modern
