From: Susanne Ramsenthaler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: RE: old, very old topic
Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 11:39:42 +0100
CCA:
Sorry - but:
Were there not some rather large scribbles on the wall - no, not a Richard
Wright exhibition - with the announcement and completion of the 'Scottish
Enterprise' refurbishment???
My major gripe is that the CCA's once great bookshop metamorphosed into a
sad little gift shop peddling coffee table books, and pens sporting the CCA
logo.
On second thought:
Let's use those as part of a fab new invention to be pitched to the MOD and
friends next time around.
Get your thinking caps on....
Un(in)formed in Edinburgh
________________________________________________________
Susanne Ramsenthaler
-----Original Message-----
From: mark lawton
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: 22/10/2002 18:52
Subject: Re: <ambit> old, very old topic
In message <004c01c279c6$9ece4940$0400000a@pc>, torsten lauschmann
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
Hello,
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
hi 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.
as 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.
this still beggars the question as to where such an open door policy
ends - or whether it indeed does have an end
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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