[-empyre-] into what midst? which collective? whose imaginary space?

[Johannes Birringer]

dear all

on a less humorous note, i have been thinking much about the recent response posting by Erin, which I felt was
thought-provoking and frustrating at the same time, so i wondered how others here responded to the language
and the philosophical stance (the term failure has been mentioned repeatedly but so far was excised from the discussion
- and I'm glad it was as I don't particularly enjoyed recent academic rhetorical valuations of the merits of 'failure' in theory and
praxis), so my question is rather simple - in response to the valid claims that might be made in favor of trying to un-align oneself
with "value"  or prestige in the art marker or art system ...

> [Erin writes]
...a collective practice of working out how to connect with and at the same time leave behind modes of value-added (prestige value, for instance) so often associated to how art operates in the market. And the fact that many of us are academics also keeps us on our toes. But our point is not to suggest that we can create conditions that escape capital. Our hope is that in developing techniques that can create conditions for emergent collective processes, we will better be able to negotiate these subtle allegiances all of us participate in, and create lines of resistance that are curious and open-ended. >>
>

could you elaborate what keeps you on your toes  -- that you have to produce something that is not waste?  


Claims that art is useless had been made a long time ago and repeatedly, of course the ironies abound.
Yet collectively, cultures tend to remember art works and performances  and certain beliefs/rhythms (here I remind you of the
text that Olu Taiwo had sent and which I quoted last sweek) they found useful and very much worth remembering or
reinventing, that were instrumental in more than one sense.  

So what is your instrument of waste, of rigorous effort resulting in nothing? or anything (work) but only "affinities" and "subtle allegiances"?  What are these subtle allegiances, 
and where to they take us? are they your friendships?  surely that is fine, so are work-related creative temporary partnerships and production teams, we all enjoy them. What then
are the "new forms of knowledge" you speak of?  and how could they be collective beyond your particular affinity group? is this the collective mode you meant to introduce?

respectfully

Johannes Birringer
dap / interaktionslabor