HERE, THERE, ELSEWHERE

Dialogues on the Topic of Place, Mobility, Communication and Modern Propaganda Principles

Concept of place, belonging, assimilation, positioning within the geographic, historical, social, educational parameters, and in relation to the class, sex, age, status, surely has a long history in the art. We are speaking about one trans-historical, para-cultural continuous sensibility corresponding with contemporary informatics moment, where at the same time one can be here and there, when a place becomes mobile, fragmented, as a consequence of communication networks which have for ever changed the relationship we have towards the presence and place.

We live in a time of increased mobility, desires for travels, relocation, adoption of new identities and the way of living. How much those travels define, and how much do they ruin identity, how much is that possibility to run away stopping us to belong to something?

This year’s program of Visual Arts Festivals is actually reflecting the need for answer to those questions even through media platforms, and surely, by the selection of works. The reason lies in the fact that today we can not any more define the exact border between propaganda, advertising, industry of fun or education. Very often the final goal of such communication is the “sales” of certain ideology. Utilized method is predominantly the same: manipulation of knowledge and feelings of the public and of the masses. The world has become a base for huge communication network without any difference in selling soap, ideology, films, politicians or “good feelings”.

Did the contemporary art praxis succeed in preserving purity of communication? Is it loosing the game in the open market with all other types of mass communication and fun? Has it become boring? If you are not good enough (read: fun) no one will buy you. "Excite or get lost".

Anica Tucakov, the Selectoress