[spectre] report_Stephen Kovats/kuda.org

[Andreas Broeckmann]

hello,

>Stephen Kovats focused on his personal observations considering 11.09.
>in NYC and its consequences. He wondered how did demolition of the
>city's identity influenced on politics, media and art itself, and
>compared this situation with Novi Sad, which has lost it's identity (all
>bridges) during air strikes in 1999.

i'm a bit surprised about the term 'demolition' and 'loss' of identity for
the two cities; it is clear that their identities has been dented, hurt,
disrupted, but 'loss' of identity is a very strong wording - it would mean
that something completely different comes in its place; i doubt that that
is the case. the comparison between ny and ns probably also starts failing
where the identification with (and reliance on) the novi sad bridges is
probably much stronger than that on the twin towers in new york?

it would probably be interesting to read stephen's talk or notes; i'm sorry
if i sound picky, but i remember novi sad, even in the spring of 2000, as a
warm and friendly city with a strong sense of resilience, and i find it
difficult to understand that that proud city should have _lost_ its
identity with the bombing of the bridges.

an important question for me remains, both in relation to the US and to
Serbia, how this strong association between architecture and national or
local identity is forged; why there has been much more of an outcry over
the destruction of the WTC than over the slaughter of millions in ignored
or supported wars, so-called revolutions and through calculated hunger in
many countries of the world; and whether there might not be other places
and incidents that have disrupted the serbian identity ...?

greetings,
-a