[spectre] The Museum of the Stealing of Souls

[Florian Schneider]

The Museum of the Stealing of Souls
http://stealingsouls.org

Last Saturday, July 19th, the "The Museum of the Stealing of Souls"
(MoSS) has opened its doors in Trento/Italy hosted by manifesta7.

The museum is devoted to histories of the invention, appropriation and
reconfiguration of the subject by photography. It holds a fast growing
collection organized in seven departments.

The exhibits on show are reflecting alleged histories of soul-theft and
surveillance, soullessness and alienation, immaterial production and
precariousness -- loosely based on the question: Where can a soul live
its life instead of saving it?

Today the passage from "intellectual" to "imaginary" property is
challenging traditional notions of ownership and personhood. It is the
theft of the soul which in both, analog and digital modes, turns images
into property or vice versa: property into imageness.

At the same time as the opening of the museum the official website went
online at: http://stealingsouls.org

The first version of the site features the entire catalog of the
collection, the official audioguide, selected items of the video archive
and the initial curatorial statement which is published in the
manifesta7 catalog:

A Matter of Theft: Notes on the Art of Stealing a Soul
http://stealingsouls.org/node/1

Visitors of both, the online and the offline venue, are cordially
invited to contribute, register and start their own collection; to add
their comments, thoughts, as well as material and immaterial objects
that should be included in forthcoming shows.

"The Museum of the Stealing of Souls" is looking now for institutions or
events that are interested in hosting it from November on. For
further questions please contact: staff at stealingsouls.org