I'm off to Amsterdam.
I'll be speaking at Montevideo, Netherlands Media Arts Institute. And, I'll keep in mind some remarks from High Low and in Between:
Even supposedly political art - as The Differance Engine so aptly nailed in this post - is often times stagnant and self indulgent. In an international market worth billions, these protests largely become niche styles that in fact resemble the establishment more than they confront the establishment and the practitioners are allowed to continue on with their illusions of dissent.
and
Who's mind are you changing by repeating what is essentially in the news to begin with? How is an installation really changing the minds that you want it to? It's an installation not legislation.
Back Sunday. It's sure to be a long one.
Have a wonderful trip Jodi. Be prepared for a wealth of ING direct ads at Shiphol.
Posted by: Barret | February 23, 2007 at 01:46 AM
A very nice thought from high low and in between. Probably applies to academics too. Maybe instead of Iran, etc. we should rather be musing on things like the general strike in Guinea which has precipitated reactionary violence that has led to over 100 strikers being killed. Guinea's natural resources include 1/2 of the world's supply of Bauxite which is critical in making the aluminum for cell phones, among other things. A state of siege. A demand that the government will never fully agree to, etc.
Posted by: old | February 23, 2007 at 10:57 AM