[Reader-list] publicity, promises and the public space - aproach

[Prayas Abhinav]

Project: “Publicity, Promises and The Public Space”

Time frame: January – May ‘05

* Summary: To conduct research into the practices of public 
communication – commercial as well as personal in the city and thereby 
document the broken links between the 'promises and commitments' made 
and the ones delivered.
This could go on to suggest reasons why and how dreams, desires, needs 
of citizens become habituated to remain unfulfilled. This would also 
explain how these dreams, desires and needs increasingly defined in 
terms of space & freedom. And how the pressure of existence (which 
exhibits in the working and personal lives) manifests.

* Link: http://www.prayasabhinav.net/section19.html

* Blog Link: http://www.prayasabhinav/blog/

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Approach: Work Plan -

** Stage One: (two months)

- Identify and document the practices of public and private “public 
communications”.
- Locate the instruments of these communications to be documented.
- Explore & document the events and acts which these communications 
inspire and instigate. Identify the promises and the projected 
motivations which are inherent in these communications.
- Define & document concrete needs of people which get converted into 
consumer needs and consumers get trained to remain unfulfilled.
- Prepare surveys, questionnaires and formats of interviews focused on 
personal space, and understand external efforts to reach this space and 
remain there.
- Put together reference/research material – literary, visual and 
archival, necessary for the research.

** Stage Two (three months):

- Begin the process of documentation on text, photo and video.
- Review existing literature on the interface between private, common 
and public space; respective encroachments & encounters.

** Stage Three (one month):

- Complete my documentation, with a detailed index and annotation.
- Start presenting my work (text, photo and video) in the fora Sarai 
offers as well as others which are relevant and have a similar focus.
- I will also attempt to document the discussion or debate which begins 
due to such presentations.

** Tools -
- Video and still photography
- Text
- Interviews, surveys
- Media archives (for archives of Indian print & outdoor advertisements)

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** Stage - Currently (Jan 15 ’05) in the stage one am identifying 
archives which I can access, formulating surveys & questionnaires and am 
beginning to plan the documentation on video, photo and text. Am 
conceptualizing the structure of the supporting quantitative data that I 
would need.

* The video / slide-show: The script for the video is as such still 
vague. I Ahmedabad we all the hoardings / billboards on the streets are 
covered with white sheets in some apparent tax violation. This has 
resulted in a sight quite rare – prime streets lined with white banners. 
I have started shooting this and will be documenting it at greater 
length. These photographs and video clippings make the fantasy of a 
non-violent city-street with sales-pitches not jumping at you seem 
imaginable for a moment.

If these photos were attempting to document the mind of the public-city 
- the lines, “And in the beginning was silence…” seem to suggest 
themselves.

* Some of these photographs are available at: 
http://www.prayasabhinav.net/section21.html

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** Threads (some rough notes):

The promise of democracy :: liberty-fraternity-equality, fundamental 
duties, fundamental rights, access, security…

The promise of the city :: opportunities, a personal space in the 
impersonal jungle, a satisfying temporary ownership, you own what you 
can afford, you keep what you can afford, you are what you can afford, a 
life of all qualities to fit all budgets, democratic helplessness, a 
self-centred and selfish reality, I’m ok - you’re ok, mob, facelessness…

The promise of development: …

The promise of the market :: ‘anyone can have anything s/he needs’ (as 
long as s/he can pay for it), there is enough supply; now demand, theory 
of the best, the valuation of time-objects-resources-knowledge in 
standardized absolute terms…

The promise of (and to) hyper-professionals :: ‘a period of working 
beyond one’s capability and wish will yield a situation in which one 
needn’t work at all’; the present is for the sake of the future, the 
space unavailable can be achieved be vertical elevation, ‘the air at the 
top is much finer’.

Frameworks of negotiations for space :: respect – for privacy, for age, 
for family/children, for women; legal, hereditary, moral, community and 
commercial right…
The definitions of private space by the social, cultural and political 
context. If Banks are regulated / Parties, restaurants are regulated, 
concerts are regulated; why are publicists, publicity, advertising not 
regulated ?

Being subjected to overt and consuming forms of advertising / publicity 
is the punishment we have to suffer through to be part of a capitalist 
society where things are cheaper and more in demand than they have to be.

The affluent have to be constantly publicized to be having a good time 
to give an incentive to the mediocre to excel themselves at their own 
cost and rise higher.

** Keywords identified: cynicism, brand, ambassadors, bribe, evangelist

* Words / Terms defined in context:

Right to horizon – Literally, with the high-rises and imposing hoardings 
constantly making sales-pitches knitting brand names and slogans into 
our minds, do we have a horizon through which we can look freely and 
seek the distance. Anymore ? With the horizon posing as a tourist 
device, as a privilege which can be enjoyed from penthouses, farmhouses 
and hotels; does terming it as a right seem extravagant ? Unfortunately so.

Potential space – The space potentially available to develop one’s 
potential. A space which is uncluttered by persuasions and unwelcome 
liaisons with our psyche. Not cluttered by dreams strewn about as if in 
a minefield.

Cynicism – The phase after the constant disillusionment, arising out of 
unfulfilled promises. A phase which leads one to feel convinced about 
the shallow and false nature of promises. Delicate, sublime and 
emotional matters are dismissed instantly as false.

Brand – a uniform and attractive range of promises. A power to empower 
the consumer with dreams and to appear to fulfil them.

Ambassador – an intermediary who negotiates between the constraints and 
limitations of selling and the hesitations of buying by his/her own 
charm, celebrity and brand.

Bribe – a compensation to the consumer in terms of a reference from 
celebrity, cheap price, enticement, contests etc.

Evangelist – the person who plays the role of convincing people about 
the difference in the quality of needs, creating the higher and more 
specific need – which his product can fulfil. Prescribing – generally on 
moral, ethical and social grounds.

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** Needs –

- Volunteers willing to be subjects of this research. Willing to answer 
questions, give comments, record data for this research.
- Readers who can point out / suggest books, websites etc. which are 
helpful for the purpose.

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All comments, suggestions are welcome ....
with regards,
Prayas Abhinav

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