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blogging the commons
Howdy y’all. Am at the commons sense conference, and was just on a panel discussion with Megan Knight (PhD Wits), Vincent Maher (New Media Lab, Rhodes/Grahamstown) and Matthew Buckland (Mail & Guardian online).
It was a pretty cool panel, tho admittedly a lot was centered around the debate of “what gets to be journalism” (this, which often gets confused for value – like the old “what gets to be art” debate – doesn’t interest me much) – still, there was plenty of provocation around freedoms, positive connotations to the amateur, helping creative economies through the creative commons, and even a few jokes (gasp!). I have to say that everyone I saw and met at the whole conference was excitable, and exciting – some super interesting and smart people who want to add something to the world!
My own presentation was a re-mix of one I found here by our keynote, Larry Lessig. It was pretty much a hit, if I do say so myself, and I promised Lessig et al I’d put it online.
Download it (3.3 MB powerpoint presentation + quicktime movie that you may need to point to the first time you open it – slide no. 32)
Other links:
You can get the Mac and PC fonts here.
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li’l larry lessig
Lawrence Lessig, digital copyright guru, Stanford Professor of Law, advocate of creativity, and chairman for creative commons, gave a talk to a bunch of artists and businesspeople over at Wits yesterday afternoon. It was really great. Most of the gist of his talk can be found here; it was about Exclusive Rights vs. non-Exclusive Rights economies, how we need both to foster creativity, and that there needs to be a space between the two, where the world can reside (and thanks to America, this is not happening… we are leaning too far to the "ER" economy). It was actually a pat on the back. Look at Joburg’s small community of bloggers (JoBlog, plankman for example) and anti-copyrighters (Christian Nerf, Aryan Kaganof for example) who both encourage re-mixing their work, and also sell their "big guns" to the likes of collectors/consumers. I, myself, have a CC blog (with loads of content – text and images – I’ve seen re-used), and also give away a lot of my software source code, video, images, etc, to any who ask… On the flipside, I use this popularity to sell works like step inside to the JAG (did I mention they bought it? First sale of a digital interactive installation in the country!) as an edition of 3, and promise NOT to copy it and distribute. It was cool to hear how cool we are. And he also said a lot of other stuff I hadn’t thought of that was pretty smart. Watch Lawrence Lessig for more – he says he posts all his content online, and for free. Oh, and also check out creative commons and ccmixter – the remix family tree. Creative commons, south africa launch party tonight, 17h30, Rosebank Hotel. Don’t miss it!
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pelmama, etc
I’ve been meaning to cover the pelmama museums projects for quite some time now, but just hadn’t had the chance to give it the time it deserves. The site, started and maintained by one Fernand F. Haenggi, is the culmination of extensive research in and around struggle art from the 60s through the 90s in South Africa. It covers museums, galleries, artists, gallerists and works. It’s mos def worth spending some time with, especially for those who were not around (present company included!).
While I’m at it, I’m gonna point to http://www.terrorealism.net/, which seems to be Kendell Geers’ site, circa 2001. Flashy and OTT (Over The Top), would you expect anything less? This is more for amusement than for anything else….
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marina abramovic is my new secret girlfriend
Don’t get me wrong; Paolo Canevari is cool – and certainly his work is tight – but MA does a whole lot more for me.
For those of you who don’t know, this dynamic duo is opening a show of installation, performance, and video over at the Johannesburg Art Gallery, this Sunday at 6pm (opened by original SA art bad boy, Kendell Gears). Marina was a pioneer of performance in the 70s (80s, 90s, beyond), and is still making brilliant work to date. Over the past two days, she and Paolo have given public talks at the JAG (also supported by Linda Givon of the Goodman Gallery).
Eish, it was inspired.
I’m not sure if it was her integrity of purpose, her openness around support and importance of the art-making process, the maternal nature of her teaching, her large body of work that is, and was, gut-wrenchingly powerful, or the fact that she managed to remain dead sexy in over 30 years of performance art – but she is my new hero.
MA’s three rules for artists (this formed just a small piece of a small part of a small section of a vast and wonderful lecture/performance. Marina – forgive me if I get these a li’l wrong, ok? Oh, and gimme a call some time soon, won’t you? Smooch!):
- art should be disturbing
- art should ask questions
- art should predict the future (she also seemed to allude that it might also/instead transform or change the future/present)
We saw protest art and damage; love affairs and fear; dangerous performance in trances; re-directed/re-mixed autobiographical theatre; quotes from her friend John Cage (I shit you not); personal, hierarchical, theatrical, hyperreal… what a prolific artist, amazing teacher, caring person with the utmost integrity.
Above is a pick of the break-up of MA with her 12-year lover and collaborator, Ulay – they each walked half the length of the Great Wall of China to say goodbye to one another.
So much great art, so small a blog/blogger; marina mentioned teaching, and a performance group in NYC she seems to mentor at – anyone know how I can get into that school / group? I’m so totally there.
Be sure not to miss the opening on Sunday!