Concept- for publishing We must have noticed at some point that flooring the pedal of glorifying individuality while also striving for bonding with others, for a true, authentic spirit of community does not really make sense. How can I be together with others while I am with myself in the first place, basking in the light of my uniqueness. Jean- Luc Nancy [1] was arguing that true community is found only in death, that is, when all the boundaries that were holding together every aspect of “I” vanish. I’m not that radical. What is certain, though, is that everyone agrees that in order to create community you either enclose it (building walls) or you open it (tearing down walls). I choose the second.
The wall I bring forth for sacrifice on the altar of a better way of creating communities is the one of your Name. When you are not “you”, you are anyone: a hero, a rapist, a doctor etc. What I am suggesting is to learn to kill (at least as much as we can) our identities together. And of course, I’m not suggesting a losing of identity – that would be equal to madness - as much as a controlled change of its plasticity. Why bond over the problems that bring us together when we can do that over basically anything, as long as we let ourselves be more flexible with who we are. Instead of making bridges why not just alter the banks? Instead of trying to find “things” to connect, we should see that in the infinite world of infinite possibilities we are one. Choosing the real “me” over the virtual should no longer be considered the only valid option in an artistic environment. Why have different boxes for memories and stories? I suggest to stop seeing as lies the made up things about ourselves and as made up the memories that we don’t have. Let us stop isolating falseness to the ghetto of the impersonal and mediated – lying or fabulating from behind screens, images, books, papers etc. And let us separate it from the goal oriented act of deceiving and lying. In an age where truth has such a problematic status I say let us re-learn how to tell stories about ourselves with more honesty.
1. JEAN-LUC NANCY, 1986. The inoperative Community. In: CLAIRE BISHOP, ed. Participation Documents of Contemporary Art, London: Whitechapel Gallery, 54-70
Event- for the making Scenario: two chairs, one table (and maybe two glasses of water); two strangers are brought together. They are both invited to talk about a random “shared experience” that they never had or just invent things about themselves. They can make up as much as they want and as plausible as they want. Whenever they think they are done, they can leave and others come in their place. Instead of meeting a person, finding out things about him/her, you have the chance to meet anyone; as long as you don’t know who he/she is, they are anybody. Materials and equipment: Two chairs, one table, people
15
Saturday 12 May 2018
6-7pm
Anybody’s Community:
Eduard M-Balash
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