[iDC] Introduction

[Kristian Lukic]

Hi all,

Trebor kindly asked me to introduce myself on the list, although Im 
following and lurking for a several years now,

Im writer, curator, artist, curently working as curator in Museum of 
Contemporary Art in Novi Sad, Serbia and also active in Institute for 
Flexible Cultures and Technologies - Napon. Before I was working in New 
Media Center kuda.org in Novi Sad as program manager (still 
collaborating on some projects...).

The topic of the conference is quite close to something what I was 
involved recent years. To the  play/work/leisure I came mostly through 
computer games (was and still active in Eastwood group, playing with 
laws and natures of computer games...) and MMO worlds which is most 
obvious relation between play and work.

Also in 2007 in Novi Sad, Serbia we organized exhibition and conference 
called Play Cultures in 2007, and also exhibition and conference in 
2008, Territories & Resources (about play/work connection in web 2.0 and 
social networks).
 
www.napon.org


Currently Im finishing MA thesis at Theory of Art and Media at Belgrade 
University of Arts (before that finished MA Art History at the same 
University)
 under the name "Commodified Play" which is mixture of lectures under 
the same name that I had from 2006 on several conferences and events.

In 2007 together with Stealth group from Rotterdam we did a one semester 
course at Piet Zwart Media Design postgradute students, that was about 
MMO and virtual worlds called "meta.life", and one workshop about the 
same topic in Laboral centre for arts in Gijon in Spain.

Im mostly interested in conepts of play as free activity definied by 
Huizinga and Callois and today's problems with these definitions. Also 
how play is becoming more and more commodified human activity, the 
concept of agon apears to be "ruling" play element, especially in the 
notion of Virno's Negation and Inovation and what Pasquinelli describe 
as Immaterial Civil War. In young animals, play is mostly preparation 
for survival, learning how to efficiently defend themselves or how to 
efficiently attack prey. Its interesting for example how game industry 
is counting on specifically this element / pure agon. Here is useful to 
realize concept of animal spirits that Virno and Pasqunelli are 
reffering too, where they regard inovation and culture as the constant 
battle, (or Immaterial civil war) and prolongation of animal nature in 
human. In that sense culture is not something opposite to "animal 
spirit" but rather continuation or even amplification of animal nature 
in humans. Situationists for examply clearly located problem of 
competition aspect in play.


On the pure practical level its good to remind us how remote warfare is 
becoming crucial in contemporary warfare (Reapers / Predators), and how 
skilled youngsters with excellent reflexes in game playing (150-200 
operations in minute) are becoming major task force in remote combats. 
This activity is for sure blurred area between play and work, but it 
interesting how its connected to massive training and recruitment of 
youth throughout world (Currently 46 countries in the world are 
developing remote warfare). Maybe It is quite time to analyze connection 
between children/youth and militarism, the last connection on such a 
scale was youth organization Ballila in Musolini's Italy, and its 
infamous follower Hitlerjugend...

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/07/23/wus.warfare.pilots.uav/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

although I will probably physically not attend conference its great to 
follow  discussion on IDC list and I'm looking forward to see the 
outcomes of the conference!

many greetings,
Kristian Lukic