Re: [-empyre-] What is to be done

[Melinda Rackham <melinda@anat.org.au>]

Hi all
 I have also found the provocation irritating.
My apologies for not responding any sooner  as i have been  travelling and
focused on launching our reskin wearable technology lab. But that's not the
whole reason - it has been difficult to get  involved and im not sure why
that is.. i guess empyre is was set up in 2002 to  provide  another space
for dialogue open to anyone, to provide a forum that doesn't suffer from the
closed loops and self absorption of some academic arenas, and i am here
looking for the sweet voice of dissent - I used to like it when the guests
were naughty. 

The basic polemic  annoys me..  we cant operate today without speaking the
language of  economics. Culture and commerce do go hand in hand. Are we
trying to dive an educative wedge into this ? I don think that's in any way
a reality . Of necessity cultural  producers embrace the language of policy
and the languages of spin. This is basic  survival in producing sustainable
"education" and by that i mean cultural events, spaces  for dialogue, skills
development, introducing new concepts to new audiences.

for example introducing emerging medias to  regional communities  who don't
have access to  the same information we all take for granted for both
economic and sometimes racial reasons .. They've never heard of locative
media and what it could do for them.. Will it make their lives better, more
comfortable, more intellectually enjoyable, create more community cohesion
and a sense of belonging if they do know?

G.H.reacted to the elite word - the domain of  bleeding heart 70's lefties.
Get over it..  You become part of an  elite just by being in this discussion
and there's nothing wrong with that ..it wasn't a judgement..it was a
statement.   

Saul wrote:
"actually I find your statement below offensive and demeaning it is
cariacturish  and represents a paternalistic and low opinion of what people
may or may not find interesting if people like you thought of how those
elite concepts might be shown to be relevent to thier lives"

Great.. Im pleased..
I find it interesting that you don't see the irony of posting this in a
forum which is discussing how we, the knowing,  are charged  with educating
the masses ! I am of the great unwashed and had to look up cariacturish .

Dirk wrote that Second Life is harnessing all the creativity out there.. Is
that wrong? I used to be  highly critical of it, but have changed my mind.
It Performs a fabulous educational and social role in our society.  Art
organisations are falling over themselves to have galleries exhibitions and
residencies there - be part of  the culture you've got.

Love the one youre with.

Melinda
The Future of Technology is Wearable
WearNow :: National Museum of Australia :: 2-3 February
http://www.anat.org.au/reskin

On 18/1/07 9:01 AM, "jacky sawatzky" <jackysaw@telus.net> wrote:

> hi all,
> 
> Sorry, a very short remark.
> The question  What is to be done.... provokes irritation in me. It's in
> worded in the future tense,  it's a bit patronizing. Ignored in this
> question is what is done and has been done.  I find the wording of the
> sentence very indicative of a culture that needs to reinvent the wheel
> again.
> 
> I am rudely trowing this into the discussion. More later..
> 
> cheers, Jacky Sawatzky
> 
> http://www.jackysawatzky.net
>