[spectre] Conflicting Shoes

[Heiko Recktenwald]

Nat,

nat muller wrote:
> 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.

And what is constructiv?

What we discussed here, Israels responsibility for the bombs on Beirut, 
the "nature" of the Lebanon, is more or less mainstream.

It is better to prevent people from loosing their shoes than sending 
them new shoes later.

The Arabs want Eastern Jerusalem and the other occupied territories 
back, the borders of 67, nothing less, nothing can change this, and all 
Israel has to offer are examples where "land against peace" has not worked.

Has Dario Fo done anything on that conflict?



H.


> 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
>>
>
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