[spectre] Mute Issue 29

[Andreas Broeckmann]

Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2005 19:21:33 +0000
From: Mute <mute at metamute.com>
Subject: Mute Issue 29


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MUTE MAGAZINE. CULTURE AND POLITICS AFTER THE NET. ISSUE 29

The Precarious Issue

The new Mute magazine is out now. Unravelling the politics of
precariousness, Peak Oil, locative art, and much more, it's 144 pages
of mental labour you'll want to perform again and again.

Here are a few samples of the writing and links to selected stories
featured on Metamute.com, our online home. Enjoy!

All the best,

Josephine Berry Slater, Benedict Seymour, Anthony Iles, Pauline van
Mourik Broekman, Simon Worthington, Demetra Kotouza, Matthew Hyland,
Jamie King, Hari Kunzru, Laura Sullivan


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Special Section: Exploring Precariousness

'The idea of social unity in shared precariousness is linked to the
insight that "all life is work" Š But "all life is work", doesn't mean
all work is the same.'

Precarious work andthe figure of the precarious worker are suddenly
ubiquitous in the discourse of activists in Europe and beyond. But is
this open-ended, ill defined category useful for understanding and
organising against contemporary capitalism?

Mute presents four critical accounts of the pitfalls and inequalities
emerging in the discourse of precarity:


Precari-us?
by Angela Mitropoulos
A grammar of precarity: the use and mis-use of the notion of
precariousness as applied to the conditions of labour under neoliberalism

http://linkme2.net/2h

Precarious Straits
by Marina Vishmidt
On the dubious equation of artists with other forms of insecure
(service) workers

http://linkme2.net/2i

Cheap Chinese
by John Barker
Some precarious labour is more dangerous than others. How do corporate
employers in the UK shift risk and responsibility on to the economic
migrants they hyper-exploit?

http://linkme2.net/2j

Wages for Anyone is Bad for Business
by Laura Sullivan
The Venezuelan state has recently recognised the economic value of
women's (unwaged) labour. Selma James and Nina Lopez talked to Laura
Sullivan about women's involvement in Venezuela's 'Bolivarian revolution'

http://linkme2.net/2k

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Peak Oil and National Security: A Critique of Energy Alternatives
by George Caffentzis
The notion that global oil production is about to reach its peak
before entering irreversible decline - the 'Peak Oil' hypothesis - is
cited by some anti-Bush groups as a major driver for US military
imperialism in the Middle East. But is the world's supply of oil
really about to run out? And is the anti-Bush campaigners' call for US
energy independence as progressive as it might seem?
George Caffentzis gives a detailed analysis of contemporary energy
politics and argues that a politically alternative project of national
energy independence that does not challenge the neoliberal order is
not alternative enough

http://linkme2.net/2f

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Trauma and Retrenchment 2000-4
by Anthony Davies
Four years ago Mute published Anthony Davies and Simon Ford's
influential article Culture Clubs (Mute18), a piece which surveyed the
landscape of partnerships and alliances between business, art and
politics that was shaping the late '90s culture of convergence. Today,
in the wake of the dotcom crash, September 11th, the War on Terror,
and Enron, we have seen the (re)emergence of some less euphoric, more
risk-averse tendencies. Here, Anthony Davies presents an audit of an
era of retrenchment and explores the pre-history of some of the
conservative trends shaping the present

http://linkme2.net/2g

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PLUS
JJ King on the future of WIPO, Steve Wright on Tiziana Terranova's
Network Culture, Christian Nold on Jodi's solo show at FACT, Ben
Watson on David Toop, Hari Kunzru on Gustav Metzger, Mattin on the
politics of musical improvisation, Tim Savage on Donna Haraway' s
Companion Species Manifesto, Anja Büchele and Matthew Hyland on poet
Susan Howe, Armin Medosch on ISEA, artist's project by Zeigam
Azizov,and much more!!!


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Special Offers

Techgnosis
In conjunction with Serpents Tail, Mute are giving away a free copy of
Erik Davis' Techgnosis: Myth, Magic and Mysticism in the Age of
information when you purchase back issues of Mute

This offer holds for orders of single back issues of issue 25 and
after (£8 each), for two back issues before Issue No.25 (£4 each), but
excluding the Pilot and issue 9. E-mail: subs at metamute.com to order

Continuum Impacts Series
New and existing subscribers are eligible for 50 percent off books
from Continuum Impacts Series. Continuum Impact Series:
http://linkme2.net/2l
E-mail: subs at metamute.com for information on how to make your order

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Mute Data
Single issues of Mute 29 can be purchased from Mute for £8.00 (US $18,
¤15). Contact Demetra Kotouza (demetra at metamute.com). To subscribe to
Mute (UK £15/year, US $34, ¤28,) contact: subs at metamute.com or see
http://metamute.com/subs For a list of outlets, see:
http://linkme2.net/2t
Also on offer, back packs (issues pilot thru 7) and back issues

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