dear oron, et al
return rant -- deviating slightly
On 04/11/2009, at 2:24 PM, Oron Catts wrote:
>
> Let me pose it quite
> bluntly; in the service of WHAT art operates? I am always
> suspicious of art in
> the service on anything beyond story telling.
> ...
> I am concern that art would lose one of the last
> remaining privileges of being human – that of non-utilitarian
> explorations, many
> sciences are loosing it already. Do we want to make art totally
> applied? In
> particular when art deals with new knowledge, it should strive to be
> a non-
> applied questioning force, not resolve anything, be in the service
> of none, be
> ambiguous, Problematise.
art is not and never has been non-utilitarian ...
art doesnt operate independently or objectively
it is an indentured service provider which has always functioned to:
- storytell for the victors,
- religiously indoctrinate,
- relay status and power,
- earn investors squillions of $'s,
- dispel fear in times of crisis
science is constrained in the same way.
> It would
> have been the same to me if some net artist would seek my advice
> concerning
> the best software to use for some type of self obsessed exploration
im so glad you like net art!
in its origins net art is next of kin to citizen science - a diy
routing around the functionalities and limitations of
institutionalized practices - maybe the only niches available for
'independent" exploration, crazy ideas and ambiguity.
and as self obsession has been a highly regarded genre of our times it
works to the advantage of artists making, scientists exploring,
curators showing and writers critiquing that which directly affects
peoples sense of personal safety, financial security and species
survival.
best wishes
Melinda
Melinda Rackham
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