hi torstenHello, I have been invited by Graham Mc Kenzie, the Director of the CCA, to bring forward the critique/suggestions/opinions about the CCA raised through recent discussions on ambit and the streets of Glasgow. To make it a worthwhile meeting I hope you could contribute some of your opinions and suggestions. Cheers Torsten
first of all i'd like to say i'm sorry to hear that people have recently left the ambit list in the wake of the centre for contemporary armaments discussion. if it is people frustrated by the lacklustre and/or conformist response to this then i'm doubly sorry because for once i feel that an issue has arisen of some actual worth and their engaged input and anger is sorely needed
there's quite a lot of information and thoughts already clearly expressed in the list but i really hope more have more to say - yea or nae
i hear that graham mckenzie is also personally opposed to an event such as the seg/dda conference, in theory, but in his 'professional capacity' he has his hands tied
this is crazy cartesian stance that i personally cannot reconcile nor understand, profligate as it is in today's managerial culture
but that's why i'm an artist
and that's why i baulk at the potential association of art with warmongers and the legitimisation of their insane, murderous activities
and, that's why i say without any doubt or fear of politik - not in my name !!
without artists, without art to place in these new cultural palaces, cca and other such places would become irrelevant - nothing other than the grandiose coffee-shops and conference facilities they often teeter close to being anyway
secondly, the scottish enterprise council (who organised the event) chipped in money for the refurbishment and relaunch of the cca and therefore it seems have influence over what happens there
yet the artists on whose work the place nominally relies are told to go and lobby parliament to try and change legislative realities when they express any ethical concerns about the galleries policies
Collective lobbying in Scotland for increased long-term and serious funding for contemporary arts, would reduce the emphasis on commercial activity in favour of increased resources for artists.
this still beggars the question as to where such an open door policy ends - or whether it indeed does have an endas a public building and as a publicly funded building, it is extremely difficult to impose any policy of censorship or make moral judgements in relation to who can and who cannot use the premises.
and the obvious question that follows, already posted, is would the bnp be allowed to legitimise their vile message via association with cca, via association with art and artists ?
if yes, then the campaign surely begins in earnest anew
if no - who decides the distinctions, on what criteria, and whose moral judgements are therefore to be utilised ?
maybe the users of the cca and the artists who are called upon to grace the halls should be asked about these judgements,
perhaps a public consultation process could be initiated amongst the people of glasgow and all those on the cca mailing list
the result on this particular issue is not clear - but at least a true policy of social inclusion would be seen to be integral to this apparently public institution and thereby freeing the director from the burden of moral judgements and ethical concerns
radical
finally torsten - what do you mean by, 'the streets of glasgow' who else beyond our cosy enclave has been vocal about this - i'm just curious for networking purposes
and i wish you the greatest of good luck
peace
mark
ps. the 'Army 2002' event was actually held in July, not a couple of weeks ago as i stated before
http://usite.army.mod.uk/2002/
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