[spectre] Re: the media art center of 21C

[Gustaff Harriman]

Hi all,
We had an interesting discussion few days ago in
Common Room - Bandung. Hope this can contribute
something for the discussion. As you know, after 1998
social upheaval in Indonesia, most of younger
generations are very skeptical on almost already
existing institution. We've been witnessing the
collapse of the megastructure. State powers are become
powerless in only a view second with massive pressure
from the student, activists and organization,
including the media: TV, internet, newspaper, posters,
etc. Indonesia as a nation, are holds by the rigid
structure. That is why we think that we have to fix
it, so it can work better & sustainable.

Back in the 45's, after we got our own independence in
1945, most of the power structure - especially in the
political level - the ideological structure are
centralized and holds by various political & capital
owner group of interest. In this case, the basic
concepts of nation-state are indeed a very modern
structure, which working on accumulating power &
money. Maybe because of this, it tend to be
authoritarian & creates a lot of tension: center -
periphery, rich - poor, etc. so what happen after the
collapse of Suharto, the state are become powerless
and people are start taking over the power & use it
for their own purpose.

Maybe you've already heard about this war in aceh,
violent act in ambon, Islamic fundamentalist in
Jakarta, etc. a lot of parties who taking advantage
for this "chaotic" situation at the moment. We still
haven't got any equilibrium of power. There are no
power sharing, no new consensus, no sustainable social
structure and no reliable public policy. Each group
tries there very hard to take over the power. The
Muslims, moneymaker, the military, America, Europe,
Japan, china, etc. That is why, for me, even we have a
shift in 98; the situation is still the same until
today. Nothing is really changed. Mostly because we
still use the old "centralized" structure.

In the context of the art scene, I think you aware
about this news about Islamic fundamentalist who
attacking some cultural space in Indonesia (Komunitas
Utan Kayu), this can be an example how the social
friction also happens among the people, especially
among different group of people. But of course it's
don't happen anywhere. In Bandung, we have quite rare
situation like this, even we also know there are some
radical group of people here in Bandung (I don't know
why).  

In Yogyakarta, even my friends told me that once an
exhibition of nude work has to be close down because
the threat of these group. So, to open a cultural
space in Indonesia is also can be considered as a
"political act". Especially for those space who hold
support on freedom of expression, pluralism &
decentralization. In this point, here in Indonesia,
this “hetero” space are always has an invisible power,
even it is very small & considered as minority. It's a
political territory that are use to connect people who
have common believes.

Space is the place where the negotiation process
begins. Sometime you're using it to have a
confrontation as well. A space is a micro political
tool. It connects people from different group &
interest. It integrates society, which was alienated
by dominated modern structure & existing “mega”
spectacle. Spaces are supposed to allows anyone to
share the power & information. 

Perhaps space is a like a hybrid creature who have
many faces & form. This creature - in Tenggarong -
Kalimantan, they call it "Lembusuana". Strange
creatures that are formed by various elements &
structures. A bit similar to the "Paksi Naga Liman" in
Cirebon - West Java. Maybe it is a creole creature. A
hybrid. Or even a cyborg. They can live in the water,
fly in the sky & walking down or stays on the earth.
It can move by it's own will. Perhaps it's also a
Protean?  

Ok, let us start to share some stories...

Regards,
-Gustaff


--- Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck at transmediale.de>
wrote:

Zitat von Simon Biggs <simon at littlepig.org.uk>:
Thus it could be argued that there cannot be an ideal
media arts centre for the 21st Century, only diverse
organisations founded on various models of more or
less appropriate form to their function.

this was also, in a nut-shell, the result of our
meeting in linz last saturday. let me report very
briefly, and i hope that others will add as
appropriate.

there were almost 30 people who met at the servus.at
space in Stadtwerkstatt; after a round of
introductions - which was already interesting, seeing
the diversity of practices and projects people are
involved in -, the discussion focused mostly on the
situation of the ICC, while the more general questions
that have been discussed on the list were touched
upon, but not really elaborated as thoroughly as
online.

we got a report from the situation at the ICC which is
strongly determined at the moment by the fact that NTT
is the sole sponsor, or rather, the *owner* of ICC;
and by the fact that there seems to be nobody at NTT
who can be addressed as responsible for the future of
the ICC - at present, there is no known address to
send your letters of support to. imagine the situation
of the ICC, having no responsible counter-part at NTT
with whom to discuss the future of one of the major
international media art centres ...
 
what also became clear was that it is important for
the ICC and the japanese art community that is
interested in the ICC as a facility, to formulate a
strong vision for the ICC beyond its current
situation: what should the ICC become, if it cannot
stay what it is at the moment? it will not be enough
to emphasise what it has been in the past and what it
has collected as art and documentation -  that problem
can be dealt with. what needs to be projected is a
plan for the 'tokyo/japanese media art center of 21C'.
 
the question of how to do that, what different
possible ways of conceptualising it, and how it could
relate to its institutional and artists environment,
all that is up in the air and depends a lot on the
different cultural conditions, local and translocal,
that have been discussed here.
 
... we were drive out of the room by fighter planes
which were part of the Klangwolke spectacle happening
over the river danube as we had our meeting ...

best regards,
-a
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