[spectre] Conflicting Shoes

[nat muller]

dear aharon,

first of all, i don't wish to be disrespectful in any way...knowing 
well how reactions on mailing lists can deteriorate into self-righteous 
and non-constructive replies.  however, just coming back from beirut, 
and with the memory and shock of carnage and destruction still all too 
fresh, i am mostly bothered by 2 things:

with about 800.000 refugees and displaced people in lebanon (that's 
almost 1/4th of the lebanese population!); many refugees don't even 
have shoes to wear, let alone other *basics*. i suspect this is the 
case in many other *conflict zones*.

your last sentence: * The aim is to present conflicting shoes as a 
practice, a cultural technology, of which each practitioner is a 
creator, an educator, and hopefully – having fun*, just strikes a tone 
which is far too light and frivolous to voice critique on the current 
situation: forgive me, but i fail to see any fun whatsoever in the 
hopeless spiral of violence envelopping the middle-east and the 
relentless killing of civilians.

i would be happy to continue this discussion further with you off-list.

my best_

nat


On Jul 28, 2006, at 10:39, aha at aharonic.net wrote:

> Dear list,
>
> Today,  I will fly into what is practically a conflict zone. As you 
> might
> imagine, for some time now, I have been agonising on whether I should 
> or
> shouldn't go – and if I do go, how to be once I am there.
> The basic arguments to go are of personal, family, nature.
>
> However, I feel determined to do something once I am there.  (..hence, 
> how
> to be there..) “There” being Israel. What can I do? Nothing to change 
> the
> particular situation, off-course. But maybe something can be done via
> myself that opens up a certain way for new meanings to emerge. 
> Following
> the recent threads on the list regarding the current out burst of 
> deadly
> criminal atrocities between palestinians, hezbolla (the party of god) 
> and
> what might be called “hezb-al-yahood” (the party of jews, otherwise 
> known
> as the state of israel) to name a few - I thought that this practice I 
> am
> about to talk about – might interest some people..
>
> Conflicting shoes is, on the face of it, a practice of creativity with
> shoes in conflict areas. The initial suggestion is to send shoes to an
> address in conflict  zones where the person who receives the shoes 
> place
> the shoes in a public place – so that people could , for instance, put
> their feet in.
> For example, Joe sends a shoe or 2 to Jessica, and she might hammer the
> shoe/s onto a pavement in, say, Mogadishu.. Joe and Jessica, might off
> course, elaborate on that..
>
> For example, worn shoes bare the result of being between your body/feet
> and where ever you've been to with them. They bare signs of your 
> weight,
> the way you move, and the conflicting pressures between yourself, the
> shoe's material/s and the places/surfaces your been through..
> Maybe worn shoes in conflict zones might remind some war photographs..
> Maybe placing shoes in public areas can point to the notion of walking 
> in
> someone else's shoes..
>
> To begin with, there's obviously, only myself and how I see this 
> practice
> going – however what I am about to suggest is only a starting point – 
> or
> points rather..
>
> So here's the deal:
> I intend to stick, glue or cement, used shoes in places I'll be in 
> Israel.
> I could just pick a few of my own old shoes and do that, however, I
> think/feel that such a thing will be too personal in a practice that 
> is,
> for me, anything but self exploration.
> Therefore, this is an invitation to practice this together. Currently, 
> I
> think the possibilities are:
> a. Maybe you'd like to join the forum at:
> http://conflictingshoes.aharonic.net/ .
>
> b. Maybe you'd want to pick up an old shoe or two and send it . Use 
> your
> imagination as to how you'd like your shoe/s to be placed, maybe the 
> kind
> of environment, maybe your wand to write something on it, maybe you'd 
> just
> rather leave a clean soc in one and an old smelly one in another..
>
> I'll try best I can to do as you suggest - if possible..
>
> I intend to take photos of conflicting shoes placed - however, it 
> might be
> that I'll use a different way of reflection..
>
> Note that I'll be in Israel until the 15th, so if you do send 
> something it
> should come at least 3 or 4 days before that date.. (15.08.06)
>
> Name and address to send shoes to:
> ron peretz
> 13 kikar haganim
> beer sheva
> 84844
> p.b. 7310
> Israel
>
> c. Maybe you are in a different conflict zone and want people to send
> shoes to you..
>
> I can't think now of other possibilities - but am sure there are.. 
> Maybe
> the forum, http://conflictingshoes.aharonic.net/ , can be used for 
> that...
>
> The notion for this practice has developed  in me within the last 
> week. I
> have made a fair few text versions of this, because I was searching 
> for a
> way to write about it which will feel “right” - so to speak...  Not 
> that I
> am without any critique about this version... The aim is to present
> conflicting shoes as a practice, a cultural technology, of which each
> practitioner is a creator, an educator, and hopefully – having fun.
>
> Best of wishes!
>
> Aharon
>