this is a list I am on and there has been an interesting discussion of the humanities...<br>Janine<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 7:50 AM, Janet Hawtin <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:lucychili@gmail.com">lucychili@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">On Wed, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:35 PM, Brian Holmes<br>
<<a href="mailto:bhcontinentaldrift@gmail.com">bhcontinentaldrift@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
> Examples of how culture and the arts become alive in society, with and<br>
> beyond the tech entailed, might be the most important thing this list<br>
> could offer.<br>
<br>
some thoughts<br>
<br>
If the changes are a result of economic or business management<br>
approaches which see the market as the mechanism of choice then<br>
perhaps the most direct way to widen the room in society for wider<br>
schools of thought is to incorporate them into schools of economics<br>
and business management? To include environmental and social<br>
perspectives in those programs so that they have a wider understanding<br>
of cultural and environmental infrastructure/assets?<br>
<br>
This kind of economics sees consuming as an act of agency. Choosing a<br>
product for fair trade or other reasons for example. But this kind of<br>
agency has variable franchise based on wealth and is reactive or<br>
passive because it can only choose from what is offered. It is similar<br>
to using a market as a means to impact climate change imho because yes<br>
it does possibly move wealth in a different direction but in itself it<br>
is only able to show possibilities as money would tell it.<br>
<br>
If consumer choice is a primary mode of engagement then how can<br>
democratic thinking and discourse adapt to a shopping context? It<br>
needs to be fashionable, a trending topic and to find ways to express<br>
and negotiate subtle choices with a community with limited attention?<br>
How do you compete with commercial interests on behalf of cultural<br>
interests in this kind of space? ie If kids choosing to buy into these<br>
ideas and courses is important, where do kids go to see rich thinking<br>
and expression in practice? Where could they participate or ask<br>
questions? Listening to question time in our parliament does not help<br>
imho because the interactions usually avoid the substance of the<br>
issues and are more argument than debate.<br>
<br>
Some online lobby groups are having effect. <a href="http://www.getup.org.au/" target="_blank">http://www.getup.org.au/</a><br>
but they tend to propose an action and invite participants.<br>
ie They too are framed for a reactive community which can buy in to a<br>
given perspective.<br>
<br>
Open source, free software and creative commons communities are<br>
obvious existing structures which are collaborative and designed for<br>
constructive practice. Michel Bauwens describes peer to peer<br>
collaboration as another sphere beyond private and state, making the<br>
civic space a sphere of production. Advocacy through making.<br>
<br>
For these functions to continue there needs to be legal permission to<br>
interact with information, hardware, networks, whatever the making<br>
materials are. These permissions are contested by business interests<br>
and as a matter of trade advantage. This week there is a release from<br>
wikileaks showing the specifics of the funding which the US put into<br>
changing the New Zealand copyright law. This is an area where advocacy<br>
in the public interest is vital.<br>
<br>
There are other artist and maker communities which are not necessarily<br>
structured in the same way as open source or creative commons<br>
practices. They too are enabled by a legal right to use cultural<br>
materials/ideas, workshop space, access to equipment for making in the<br>
public sphere.<br>
They can also be activities which happen in private homes/studios/workshops.<br>
<a href="http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces" target="_blank">http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces</a><br>
<a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/maker-spaces-a-tale-of-3-englishman-new-capitalism" target="_blank">http://www.shareable.net/blog/maker-spaces-a-tale-of-3-englishman-new-capitalism</a><br>
<a href="http://makezine.com/community/" target="_blank">http://makezine.com/community/</a><br>
<a href="http://craftzine.com/community/" target="_blank">http://craftzine.com/community/</a><br>
<br>
At an art community meeting recently one artist pointed out that he<br>
had successfully proposed artworks for street roundabouts<br>
because there was a budget for implementing the street infrastructure<br>
and he could quote to make a public art piece which was developed as a<br>
part of the infrastructure work. Perhaps there are other larger<br>
building or infrastructure projects which could be worked with in this<br>
way?<br>
<br>
In South Australia there are festivals which create a pulse for<br>
performing and visual arts. There are also sporting events like the<br>
bicycle Tour Down Under which attract crowds and some arts events are<br>
geared to attract those crowds. The wineries are also supportive of<br>
the arts and function both as galleries and as venues for festivals<br>
with food wine and performances.<br>
<br>
janet<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Janine Marchessault, Ph.D.<br>Canada Research Chair in Art,<br>Digital Media and Globalization<br>303 Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts<br>York University, Toronto, Canada<br>
<a href="http://www.visiblecity.ca/marchessault/index.html" target="_blank">http://www.visiblecity.ca/marchessault/index.html</a><br>