two weeks until deadline: CFP ECAS 2013 "Revolution 3.0: iconographies of utopia in Africa and its diaspora"

The main question guiding the panel is the emergence of images in the context of imaginations of futures. Images as seismographers of radical shifts within societies - especially the iconography of revolution as the epitome of social change - will be discussed from interdisciplinary perspectives; .

This panel investigates the emergence of images as imaginations of futures. As seismographers of radical shifts within societies, images often anticipate changes before they appear in the political and social discourse. Revolutions as epitomes of social change produce visual figurations in art, film and popular cultures.

Africa is rarely discussed with a perspective on revolution and utopia in the sense of positive powerful concepts of futures. We argue that the investigation of visual archives of African revolutions may provide knowledge about appearance and trajectories of dynamic icons and the ‘agency’ of images (Gell 1998). Their affiliations and clusters in different media provide a deeper understanding of projections of futures and their relation to the past. If revolutions aim at something new, a “concrete utopia” (Bloch 1985), this has to be reflected in images as well. New images, we argue, can only emerge in the field of aesthetics, where imaginations of utopian space and time (Rancière 2006) are possible. Art emerges not as a tool for propaganda, but as powerful element of social and aesthetic discourse.

We invite interdisciplinary perspectives from literature, cinema and art studies, visual anthropology and cultural studies. We ask for different projections of the future from Africa and how these imaginations are traceable in art, film, and popcultures. How are they related to historical moments: revolutions, independences and the aftermaths? How can they (re-)define historical events? How can new images, imaginations, concepts of future be generated? How do aesthetic practice and politics relate in situations of change?

more Info:

http://www.nomadit.co.uk/ecas/ecas2013/panels.php5?PanelID=2081

05.01.2013 | par nadinesiegert | Africa, african art, Conference, film, iconography, images, Revolution, utopia

SÁBADO 14 MAIO - RDA69 - "Bastards of Utopia" de Maple Razsa e Pacho Velez

O documentário de Maple Rahsa e de Pacho Velez apresenta um dos poucos documentos sobre o movimento anarquista e de ocupação de casas que não é marcado por um absoluto sensacionalismo ou por invenção pura e dura. A contextualização na efervescência política da Ex-Jugoslávia e numa expressão local deste movimento, longe das suas capitais em Barcelona, na Grécia ou na Holanda, tornam o documentário mais complexo, e a narratividade… mais próxima do filme etnográfico do que do canal história também ajuda em que esteja aqui presente um fundamental documento filmico que deve interessar não só aos directamente envolvidos ou cúmplices nos movimentos retratados mas a todos os interessados em cinema documental ou antropologia.
Antes será exibido o curto documentário da Paper Tiger Television “Maple Razsa and Michael Hardt read Riot Porn”, que apresenta uma reflexão sobre o papel da imagem dentro de uma narrativa e comunicação política. Dos motins gregos aos acampamentos No-Border qual o papel dos videos disponiveis online de confrontos entre a polícia e manifestantes na difusão das lutas a nivel global? 
No fim dos visionamentos será proposto um debate sobre as obras visionadas.
Dos Autores:
“Na sua infância viveram o colapso da Jugoslávia. Mas agora, por entre as ondas de choque do falhanço do socialismo, lutam para abrir caminho a um novo esquerdismo. Quer lutando com a polícia ou ocupando uma fábrica antiga, estes activistas arriscam tudo para poder viver a sua política. Entre tudo isto um antrópologo Americano que chegou para observar o movimento acaba por participar e até ser detido com eles. À medida que as contrariedades se amontoam irão eles desistir da luta?
O filme, rodado durante os anos de trabalho de campo com um colectivo anarquista Croata, aplica a perspectiva única da EnMasseFilms que combina participação directa com uma reflexão critíca deste movimento político. O seu retrato do activismo é tanto cúmplice quanto crítico - uma meditação comprometida e elegante na luta para re-imaginar a esquerda e o poder de uma juventude”

14 de Maio, Sábado, 20h - Jantar, 21h30 - Filme, Regueirão dos Anjos

12.05.2011 | par martalanca | Ex-Jugoslávia, movimento anarquista, utopia

Other Possible Worlds - Proposals on this Side of Utopia

30.4.2011 – 13.6.2011
Opening 29.4. 19h
From 22h Party: DJ Bolz Bolz
Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst e.V. Oranienstraße 25, D-10999 Berlin


Curatorial team:

Dorothee Albrecht, Berit Fischer, Franziska Lesák, Hubert Lobnig, Moira Zoitl
Contributions by: 
Dorothee Albrecht, Antimuseum, Maria Thereza Alves, Cedric Bomford, CCA Lagos, Leung Chi Wo, Chto delat?, Chua Chye Teck , Cybermohalla, Kiluanji Kia Henda, ExRotaprint, Huang Xiaopeng, Johanna Kandl, Hubert Lobnig, Ralo Mayer, Gabi Ngcobo, Periferry, Oda Projesi and Nadin Reschke, Åsa Sonjasdotter, The International Academy of Art Palestine, The Israeli Center for Digital Art, TkH (Walking Theory), The Public School, Yoel Diaz Vazquez, Xu Tan, Moira Zoitl

Which roles can art projects, art spaces, self-organized academies and labs play in developing conceptions of the world that go beyond purely economic globalization? Projects from various parts of the world are invited to propose and test out other realities of life and world views, from small artistic attempts to social experimentation. Topics such as dealing with cultural differences, economic and ecological changes, processes of levelling out and confusing complexities form the basis for a common space in which to rise questions.
The basis for Other Possible Worlds – Proposals on this Side of Utopia is a collection of ideas, concepts, models, terms, projects, kits and modes of acting. It is conceived as a pool for further projects in other parts of the world, it is open to further extension and it allows for varied formats. The NGBK is considered as a common and active space of inquiry for different formats like artistic contributions and installations, workshops, presentations, talks and video screenings.
Publication (English & German), published by argobooks. Including further contributions by: Berit Fischer, Franziska Lesák / Ricarda Denzer, Sarat Maharaj / Gilane Tawadros, Kerstin Meyer. 200 Pages. 

Other Possible Worlds – Programme
Saturday 30.04.2011, 15:00 hHuang Xiaopeng / Leung Chi Wo, Presentation and Talk (English)
Huang Xiaopeng unpacks his recent project You are the Dream of my Realization (since 2006) and speaks about the changing process of modernization in China, about social values, the education system, westernized language and individuality. Huang Xiaopeng is currently an Associate Professor and head of the 5th studio (contemporary art practice) in Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art, China.

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27.04.2011 | par martalanca | arte, utopia