In a point it’s not gratuity that she mentions J. Lacan, because if we take into consideration the ‘Mirror Stage’ of Lacan, in which we are being built and constructed by the image of the other, the relations that we are always trying to do are with ourselves, mainly because even thou we ARE, we lack our imagine and the external relation that we have with the rest of things. Tiravanija’s work is relational because is something that we DO in the everyday life; and is art (only) because it’s in a museum. And maybe the interesting point, or what we are questioning the before “how did it got there?” (to the museum) and what did it happen? or what happen, what does it mean?
Relation is something without a place, is always a transition or a space in the middle of two things. Something that it actually doesn’t exists, an excuse for meaning, maybe.
It’s all about what is available, what is not, and the reason for both.