.
- Please distribute widely -
** CASAzine #4: Drawing the Line **
Following the activity of the 2006 Cultural Analysis Summer Academy (CASA)
international meeting in Amsterdam (June 23 - 25), the fourth CASAzine will
explore the subject of art and direct action. In particular, the issue seeks
to investigate the tension between hegemonic forms of knowledge concerning
what constitutes art as it is embodied by the academy versus alternative
forms of creative action and knowledge production. It is an enquiry into
distinctions, limits and possibilities, and into the positions our actions
occupy in relation to academic knowledge sets, institutions, and ultimately
to other people.
"Drawing the Line" aims to examine the implications and potential of our
actions. How do aesthetic concerns affect our politics and vice versa? Do
actions utilizing mass media heighten awareness, or do they merely
contribute additional imagery to the spectacle? More basically, to what
extent is art as creative activism a productive way to work for social
change? Can 'radical aesthetics' productively challenge distinctions drawn
between art and activism in traditional academic knowledge systems?
"Drawing the Line" applies to our negotiation with institutionalization.
What happens to creative forms of direct action when they are defined as art
by public bodies or art markets? How can creative practices push agendas for
political change in relation to, or even within, those contexts? How can we
take critical action that is aware of its own position in a cultural climate
of fashion, celebrity, and shopping? How do aspects of cultural life as it
is currently conceived (i.e. the figure of a charismatic creator a.k.a. "the
artist as genius") affect our goal for leaderless, equal, collaborative
forms of art and action?
"Drawing the Line" is pertinent to how we relate to others. In all our forms
of activism including research, art, and direct action, the nature of our
engagement with others is crucial, be they involved, hostile, critical, or
indifferent. How do our activities relate to those outside the group of
people specifically engaged in this alternative practice? How do the
microcosms of dissent created in our daily lives relate to wider social
frameworks?
These questions are not new, but they are critical to framing the daily
distinctions and decision making necessary to create awareness and change.
As we move on to review, discuss, and share responses to these questions, we
hope to arrive at better questions to ask, which will in turn create new
answers in the struggle for social and political equity and environmental
protection.
** Formats **
We are seeking contributions in both text and image form. Contributions may
be a reflection on the subject of art and direct action as it was addressed
during the meeting, or it can present an entirely perspective. Contributions
may be offered by anyone, including those who have not attended CASA
meetings in the past.
** Guidelines **
- 500-3000 words.
- Language: English preferred; German, French, and Spanish understood.
** Send **
- Email is preferred: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please attach text in .doc or
.rtf; and attach image samples in low resolution .jpg.
- Surface mail: Monika Vykoukal, Peacock Visual Arts, 21 Castle Street, AB11
5BQ, Aberdeen, Scotland. If you would like your materials returned, please
include a stamped return envelope.
** Deadline **
- 1 February 2007
We, Milena Placentile and Monika Vykoukal, the editors of this year's zine,
met at CASA Meeting 2006. We live in Canada and Scotland respectively, and
we are both curators of contemporary art.
The Cultural Analysis Summer Academy (CASA) came into existence in 2003 as
an international forum that seeks to discuss the shifting functions of
academia and the scholar in a globalized society. CASA offers a platform for
people to combine efforts and information with a view towards social
transformation.
To date, CASA has organized three meetings to provide a platform for these
discussions. For more information about CASA 2004 "Acting and Spectating",
CASA 2005 "Borders, Markets, Movements", and CASA 2006 "Constructing Social
Change: Art, Direct Action, Knowledge, Utopia, and Desires", please visit:
http://www.casa.manifestor.org <http://www.casa.manifestor.org/> .
Milena Placentile
http://www.shintai-z.com
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