[-empyre-] FW: Laying the foundation for The Dawn of Aquarius: Art, Intuition and Technology

[Renate Ferro]

    Hello all, 
    This week has been incredibly stressful for me so I am thrilled to take a short time to breathe into our soft-skinned space on the Dawn of Aquarius.  
    I want to thank Arshiya and congratulate her on the online exhibition-- it is absolutely beautiful.  
    
    After Arshiya suggested that we launch this topic, inspired by her curatorial writing on the online exhibition, my own research into Aquarius, led me to a reference to the lyrics of the original 1967 song, "Aquarius".  Tim how funny you bring up your activist days in SF Bay area and the musical Hair.  I recall the uproar (I was living in the eastern portion of the US with my parents) that the original performance prompted in the media and how horrified many were at the notion of free-love and nakedness in the middle of a musical. Here are the lyrics which I think certainly point to a utopic optimism that was shared by early visons ot digital technology as counter culture posted below.  
    
    South of San Francisco in Silicon Valley, engineers  were devloping miniaturized components that would revolutionize computing.  In his book "Digital Culture" by Charlie Gere there is a fascinating recounting of the utopic intermingling of both the evolution of counter culture and digital culture. Tim in your nod to the questioning of technology and the critical drive forward can you elaborate on the Lyotard reference that you mention in your post? 
    
    Of course I immediately thought of his brilliant curatorial exhibition Les Immateriaux, a Pompidou production from the mid eighties but I would love to know more about your reference. 
    
    Looking forward to more foundational work for the month but in the meantime enjoy the lyrics below this Friday evening, thankfully the end of the week. Renate
    ___________________________________________
    From the song Aquarius
    When the moon is in the seventh house
    And jupiter aligns with mars
    The peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars
    
    This is the dawning of the age of aquarius
    The age of aquarius
    
    Aquarius
    Aquarius
    
    Harmony and understanding
    Sympathy and trust abounding
    No more falsehoods or derisions
    Golden living dreams of visions
    Mystic crystals revelations
    And the minds true liberation
    
    Aquarius
    Aquarius
    
    When the moon is in the seventh house
    And jupiter aligns with mars
    Then peace will guide the planets
    And love will steer the stars
    
    This is the dawning of the age of aquarius
    The age of aquarius
    
    Aquarius
    Aquarius