[iDC] The Future of the Humanities

[Janine Marchessault]

this is a list I am on and there has been an interesting discussion of the
humanities...
Janine

On Sat, Jul 16, 2011 at 7:50 AM, Janet Hawtin <lucychili at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Wed, Jul 13, 2011 at 12:35 PM, Brian Holmes
> <bhcontinentaldrift at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Examples of how culture and the arts become alive in society, with and
> > beyond the tech entailed, might be the most important thing this list
> > could offer.
>
> some thoughts
>
> If the changes are a result of economic or business management
> approaches which see the market as the mechanism of choice then
> perhaps the most direct way to widen the room in society for wider
> schools of thought is to incorporate them into schools of economics
> and business management? To include environmental and social
> perspectives in those programs so that they have a wider understanding
> of cultural and environmental infrastructure/assets?
>
> This kind of economics sees consuming as an act of agency. Choosing a
> product for fair trade or other reasons for example. But this kind of
> agency has variable franchise based on wealth and is reactive or
> passive because it can only choose from what is offered. It is similar
> to using a market as a means to impact climate change imho because yes
> it does possibly move wealth in a different direction but in itself it
> is only able to show possibilities as money would tell it.
>
> If consumer choice is a primary mode of engagement then how can
> democratic thinking and discourse adapt to a shopping context? It
> needs to be fashionable, a trending topic and to find ways to express
> and negotiate subtle choices with a community with limited attention?
> How do you compete with commercial interests on behalf of cultural
> interests in this kind of space? ie If kids choosing to buy into these
> ideas and courses is important, where do kids go to see rich thinking
> and expression in practice? Where could they participate or ask
> questions? Listening to question time in our parliament does not help
> imho because the interactions usually avoid the substance of the
> issues and are more argument than debate.
>
> Some online lobby groups are having effect. http://www.getup.org.au/
> but they tend to propose an action and invite participants.
> ie They too are framed for a reactive community which can buy in to a
> given perspective.
>
> Open source, free software and creative commons communities are
> obvious existing structures which are collaborative and designed for
> constructive practice. Michel Bauwens describes peer to peer
> collaboration as another sphere beyond private and state, making the
> civic space a sphere of production. Advocacy through making.
>
> For these functions to continue there needs to be legal permission to
> interact with information, hardware, networks, whatever the making
> materials are. These permissions are contested by business interests
> and as a matter of trade advantage. This week there is a release from
> wikileaks showing the specifics of the funding which the US put into
> changing the New Zealand copyright law. This is an area where advocacy
> in the public interest is vital.
>
> There are other artist and maker communities which are not necessarily
> structured in the same way as open source or creative commons
> practices. They too are enabled by a legal right to use cultural
> materials/ideas, workshop space, access to equipment for making in the
> public sphere.
> They can also be activities which happen in private
> homes/studios/workshops.
> http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces
>
> http://www.shareable.net/blog/maker-spaces-a-tale-of-3-englishman-new-capitalism
> http://makezine.com/community/
> http://craftzine.com/community/
>
> At an art community meeting recently one artist pointed out that he
> had successfully proposed artworks for street roundabouts
> because there was a budget for implementing the street infrastructure
> and he could quote to make a public art piece which was developed as a
> part of the infrastructure work. Perhaps there are other larger
> building or infrastructure projects which could be worked with in this
> way?
>
> In South Australia there are festivals which create a pulse for
> performing and visual arts. There are also sporting events like the
> bicycle Tour Down Under which attract crowds and some arts events are
> geared to attract those crowds. The wineries are also supportive of
> the arts and function both as galleries and as venues for festivals
> with food wine and performances.
>
> janet
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-- 
Janine Marchessault, Ph.D.
Canada Research Chair in Art,
Digital Media and Globalization
303 Goldfarb Centre for Fine Arts
York University, Toronto, Canada
http://www.visiblecity.ca/marchessault/index.html
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