A runner passes by a work of art in the Tate Britain as part of Martin Creed's "Work No. 850" in London during a trial on Jan. 9, 2008.

Running is banned in Tate Britain's 86-meter sculpture gallery, unless you're Martin Creed.

The Turner Prize winner, who once exhibited a crumpled piece of paper, is sending sprinters racing through the London museum's Duveen Gallery, one at a time, in ``Work No. 850.''

Creed himself made the near-100-meter dash for the cameras, then was interviewed for radio while jogging with the journalist. Afterwards, the fit and friendly 39-year-old U.K. artist paused to discuss his latest contribution to art history.

Nayeri: Why have you done this?

Creed: Because I think that running is good to look at. I like watching people run, so I thought it would be nice to present it in the gallery for people to come and enjoy. I think it's beautiful to watch.

Nayeri: Do you not think that people will say, ``How is this art''?

Creed: Well, they may do, but ... I don't know how to answer that because art is what people think it is. It's not for me to tell anybody what art is. Art is what the world at large collectively thinks is art.

Because anything can be art if people use it as art. I don't find it that useful to think about whether something's art or not when I work. I'm trying to make my life better. I try to do things that make me happy, that are fun and exciting to do. I think of art galleries as theaters that are good places for presenting things for people to look at.

Unhibited Art

Nayeri: You do try to take a lot of the pretension out of art.

Creed: Well, maybe. Because I think it's quite straightforward. If you enjoy something and find it moving or entertaining or exciting, then it's art. If it means something to you. There's no need to feel inhibited about art.

Nayeri: Is there an effort on your part to demystify art history?

Creed: Possibly. But I don't consciously try to do things. I think that artists have always been, like everyone, trying to make their lives better, looking for excitement or something that moves them. Also, art is a matter of diverting oneself from some of the difficulties in life.

Nayeri: So there is an element of entertainment and humor?

Creed: I think so. For me, it's a form of escapism. Working is what helps me to live. I'm scared of standing still and getting stuck. So I work, I try to keep moving, and maybe that's what the running is about as well.

Living Life

Nayeri: What is the message or meaning to take away from this?

Creed: I don't think it's for me to say, because people make meaning themselves due to what they feel about things. What it means to me, if you think of movement as a sign of life, then the body moving as fast as it can is a prime example of life lived fully.

Nayeri: Do you still live on an island that you discovered in (Italian filmmaker) Nanni Moretti's ``Dear Diary''?

Creed: I still have a house there, but I've been living much more in London recently, because I started a studio here, so I live there half of the time now. It's called Alicudi, this island, and it's one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Nayeri: The fact that Sotheby's sponsors this doesn't intimidate you in any way?

Creed: I get scared and nervous when I do shows, and the bigger the stage, the more nervous I get. But I like it. Nothing concentrates the mind quite like a big audience and a big stage.

Nayeri: Will you do more figurative or classic art, or paint?

Creed: I think using the body like this is a new thing for me. But I've been doing a lot of paintings recently. Paintings, and also portraits. I try to do a lot of different things.