[Reader-list] [ UN.OCCUPIED SPACES ] 25 to 27 October 2007

[Sophie Le-Phat Ho]

ARTIVISTIC 2007
[ UN.OCCUPIED SPACES ]
25 to 27 October 2007 :: Montreal
http://www.artivistic.org


Artivistic is an international transdisciplinary three-day gathering on the
interPlay between art, information and activism. Artivistic emerges out of the
proposition that not only artists talk about art, academics about theory, and
activists about activism. Founded in 2004, the event aims to promote
transdisciplinary and intercultural dialogue on activist art beyond critique,
to create and facilitate a human network of diverse peoples, and to inspire,
proliferate, activate. 

For the third edition of Artivistic, the expression [ un.occupied spaces ] was
chosen to stimulate new ideas in response to the hidden confusions caused by
the infinite networks of 21C globalization and neo-liberalism. [ un.occupied
spaces ] dares to link the charged issues of environmentalism, indigenous and
migrant struggles, and urban practices together through the angle of
occupation. In an interconnected world, critical thought and action cannot but
become flexible and uncompromising at once. To think with occupation
consequently becomes a strategy for approaching these issues in a way that will
reveal their interdependence, and fuel creative and tactical collaborative
actions between “co-artists” (artists and non-artists). Built around three
interrelated questions, the event consists of roundtables, workshops,
interventions, exhibitions, performances, and screenings at our temporary
headquarters at 5455 av. de Gaspé, #701, and in different venues and spaces of
Montreal.


< what is indigenous? >
The very use of the term “indigenous” presupposes a claim to the existence of
certain rights. The right to traditional uses of territory. The right to live
on the land from which one has been displaced. The right to status. The right
to self-determination. The right to a life with dignity. In what context does
indigenous mean something and how is it represented today? What is the
relationship between identity based on place, the land and/or territories and
the right to resources? What is indigenous in the context of globalisation,
migrations and mobility?

< what is natural (space) ? >
The environment is in a pretty bad shape. Yet, does not typical
environmentalism often propose “solutions” which alienate the very people that
could make a difference by using a false dichotomy (natural/artificial,
nature/culture) and by perpetuating the myth of a pristine nature? Current
strategies often make use of fear and guilt to provoke action, yet will we not
be helping our environment in a more efficient way once we let go of our
arrogance as humans and start living with and in the world rather than of, and
alienated from, the world?

< what is (there) to occupy? >
The term “occupation” often inspires images of invasion, enclosure and rape.
How are spaces and bodies ruled over? What is public space, ultimately? Why do
reserves exist? To ask what is occupation is in fact to ask what is left to
occupy for occupation is more pervasive than it first appears. At the same
time, occupation echoes resistance when it comes to certain forms of
appropriation. How does one occupy appropriation or how can one appropriate
occupation?

The Autonomous Conference >> Artivistic also includes an open-source component.
Participants will be able to sign up on the day-of to hold an ad-hoc session
that is not in the official program but is fully part of the event. You can
prepare in advance, but you don’t need to submit anything.


Our events are free admission, with a suggested donation of $10 for waged
participants. 

Please register to secure a place: participation.artivistic at gmail.com 

For updates / more information: http://www.artivistic.org /
info.artivistic at gmail.com 



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