the Think Tank that has yet to be named / SPCC01: Re-Humanization, mediation and the TAZ

SPCC01: Re-Humanization, mediation and the TAZ

Posted by DINP on August 10, 2007


Date:July 19, 2007
Location: A sidewalk cafe on Division Street in Chicago, IL
Managing Director:

Unmanaged
Attending Directors:

Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Meaning (DIM)

Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Neutrality (DIN)

Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Re-Humanization (DIRH)

This was the first documented SPCC (Spontaneous Public Critical Conversation) that presented itself to the Directors during a conversation at sidewalk cafe in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, IL. Newly self-appointed temporary Director of the Department for the Investigation of Re-Humanization (DIRH) hosted DIM and DIN for a cup of coffee and the SPCC ensued. The conversation topic started with DIRH’s suggestion of the idea of Re-Humanization. Through this we discussed dehumanization, how our experiences in the world are mediated, consumerism, the violence of some of our everyday experiences (like cars), and how we might find ways around that mediation to re-humanize ourselves. The conversation lead from there to notions of representation and art. Why paint? Can paint be an effective way to communicate specific ideas, or instead, do we choose a medium that best meets the need for our specific line of communication? DIM and DIN talked about their “stack of failures” as painters and how they struggled to communicate in the confinement of that medium. We also talked about the invasive history of representation and painting, which spills into the work. Finally, we discussed the T.A.Z (Temporary Autonomous Zone) and whether or not the T.A.Z. might be a strategy for our work both as artist and activists. DIN talked about the potential for spontaneous moments or outburst, a movement that goes viral. DIM asked how that differed from terrorism. We talked about the representation of history and the difference between terrorism and resistance.

KEYWORDS: spcc