[-empyre-] Critical policy and postcolonial makers

[Diana Taylor]

Hi Tim--
FOMMA, in San Cristóbal, Chiapas, and Hemi developed a formal project
CENTRO/FOMMA for 10 years (during which we helped the Mayan women build the
center that you saw). Our informal relationship started in 1995 and
continues into the present. FOMMA still serves on the Hemi Council.  The 10
year project involved building a digital studio in the space and developing
all sorts of programming.  Zach and Micha and lots of other artists,
scholars and activists did work there. But Hemi's money was limited and it
became clear that FOMMA's primary interest was doing community work with
Mayan women and children, and less interested in the digital and local arts
scene. So while they have all the equipment, they haven't really done much
with it. I'll be back down in August and see if I can stir up a little more
activity, but they have their priorities that make a lot of sense for them.
Bye for now!
Diana


On Tue, Apr 8, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Timothy Conway Murray <tcm1 at cornell.edu>wrote:

> ----------empyre- soft-skinned space----------------------
> Hey, everyone,
>
> What a wonderful series of posts this week from Diana, Marcus, both
> Illinois Kevins, and Danny, all which touch similarly on challenges of
> translating digital making via self-organized networks that reshape or
> deconstruct technology for the sake of social transformation.  I am
> particularly struck by the commonality of their approaches to remaking
> technology within the varying contexts of indigenous cultures and/or the
> attempt to address social issues faced by economically challenged
> populations through the mechanisms of public policy and/or independent
> networks.  Many of us are likely to appreciate the pratical impact of such
> interventions when we cruise the artist demos at HASTAC Peru later in the
> month.
>
> For now, I'D love to hear even more from you about the specific projects
> in which you're involved.  Renate and I enjoyed the opportunity of
> spending a brief amount of time with Diana in Chiapas where she worked
> frequently with the Mayan Women's theatre collective, FOMMA, which also
> hosted digital making workshops that have been discussed by various
> -empyre- members over the years (my recollection is that Zach Blas and
> Micha Cardenas both discussed their participation in FOMMA workshops in
> posts for a few years back).  Looking at the Hemi website, Diana, if, as
> it appears, the collaboration between FOMMA and Hemi has ended or
> transformed (?), I'm wondering whether this has any bearing on the
> technology workshops or whether they continue under FOMMA's guidance.  I
> remember fondly how pleased Renate was to collaborate with her FOMMA hosts
> on her internet/installation piece while she was there (she might not mind
> by my mentioning that she's reinventing that project for HASTAC Peru).
> And Marcus, your description of metarecycling in Brazilian communities
> with limited access to communication technologies aligns your post with
> Diana's Hemi project and the concerns raised earlier in the week by Danny.
>  Would you mind expounding of the nature of your own projects in relation
> to some of those communities?
>
> Thanks for everyone sharing your further thoughts and even your concerns!
>
> Best,
> Tim
>
>
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-- 
Diana Taylor
University Professor
Professor, Performance Studies and Spanish
Director, Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics
New York University
721 Broadway, 6th floor
NY, NY, 10003
212 998 1632
212 995 4571 fax
www.hemisphericinstitute.org
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