[spectre] cash and - the media art center of 21C

[rene beekman]

From: John Hopkins
> isn't the market and economic funding models just one (dominant) model 
> of how certain societies construct social relation and meaning?  Is it 
> true that there are no other ways of constellating (social) 
> relationship in our lives that don't consider CASH?  I can't accept 
> this statement seriously, unless I become hopelessly cynical.

john, even though i never used the word cash, i'll try to formulate a 
reply that will hopefully not add to your becoming cynical.
for all intends and purposes, yes, life is possible without a monetary 
system and even within the dominant monetary economy lots of expenses 
and rewards can be described that do not involve cash transactions.
whenever i mention market or funding, that does not in any way limit 
itself to cash only transactions - so your assumption seems a bit odd 
in the context of this discussion.
what i was trying to get at is, to parafrase your question; Is it true 
that there are no other ways of constellating (social) relationship in 
our lives that don't automatically assume government support as the 
default?
with my second point being that any (re-)definition of a media-art 
centre without consideration for (long-term) financial sustainability - 
yes i am talking money here - is much like learning how to swim by 
writing a book about it.
there is very little point in talking about what the function of any 
new media-art centre should be if we refuse to acknowledge part of the 
equation of the "social relation".

hope this helps explain what i was trying to get at

rene