[spectre] media art and dictatorial regimes

[jaromil]

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re all,

first thanks for the discussion, i'm an online discussion junkie.

On Mon, Jun 30, 2008 at 08:29:37AM +0100, Armin Medosch wrote:
> Melinda, Alex,
> 
> I would clearly  be the last one to excuse  imperialisms of the past
> or   of    the   present.   however,   i    find   this   relativism
> problematic.  sure,  australia   has  a  disgusting  policy  towards
> immigrants,  as have  by now  nearly all  european countries.  in my
> posting  I was also  addressing the  justified concern  with western
> democracies  regression to a  type of  democracy which  becomes ever
> more similar to efficient regimes.
> 
> But,  although I  am not  blind  to those  mistakes, I  still see  a
> difference with China style one party capitalism, where workers have
> no right  to demonstrate, where  supposed criminals are  executed in
> their thousands after fast lane  trials, and where a revolt, such as
> in tibet, has  just been bloodily suppressed. You may  say it is not
> worth  having  a  discussion  about  that. Well,  I  dont  see  that
> discussion happening at  all. I only notice a  deafening silence. In
> this overall climate, surely it is  necessary to think and act a bit
> more politically?

but  then yes  that's the  whole point  Armin and,  with or  without a
relativism that gives up in judging who is best or worst, still we can
act  as assertive  individuals in  all  contexts to  carry on  healthy
doubts and displaced experiences.

I'm going to  Singapore for ISEA and  I'm happy I can: as  I refuse to
give  up  my biometric  data  I could  even  argue  Singapore is  more
accessible than USA for people like me. Of course the plan is to carry
there all the contents and instruments and practices which, in digital
form, can  be compared to the  same gear the Stubnitz  was carrying to
Russia in those  good old days, and  you know we share a  lot of those
visions.

Even  more,  since  a trip  to  Asia  is  very expensive,  I'm  taking
advantage to visit the south of that world right after, paying a visit
to Jogja's  amazing media art  scene for the  (grassroot!) Cellsbutton
festival,  which i recommend  to all  ISEA participants:  please don't
hesitate to ask me about logistics on how to comfortably reach it.

In conclusion i think it is  good you raise such issues, but still you
should  consider  the action  of  people  going  there as  a  positive
approach to regimes which, whatever and wherever they are, can benefit
from an "alternative  input" - at least before  that input is silenced
by the same "democratic countries" where it struggles to survive.

ciao

- -- 
  Jaromil, dyne.org developer, http://jaromil.dyne.org

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