[Reader-list] Poetic Terrorism in Madrid

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

Poetic Terrorism
http://www.fundaciontemasdearte.com

Madrid October 07
Curator: Elga Wimmer

>From the 18th to the 21st of October, 2007 the 7th edition of FEM 7,
Festival Edición Madrid de Nuevos Creadores or Feria de las
Tentaciones is held in Madrid..

The exhibition shows videos and films in containers (one per two
artists) distributed in and around the center of Madrid (organized by
Victor del Campo, director of Temas de Arte and Armando Unsain,
director of FEM))

Juan Manuel Echavarria ( Columbia), Robert Boyd (USA) , Peter
Aerschmann (Germany), Madeleine Hatz (Sweden/USA), Minnette Vari
(South Africa), Oscar Seco and Manuel Mingo (Spain), Naeem Mohaiemen
(Bangladesh) & Sehban Zaidi (Pakistan), Carolee Schneemann
(USA/Canada), Michael Najjar & Dieter Jaufmann (Germany), Liselot van
der Heijden (Holland), Teresa Serrano (Mexico), Jeremy Blake (USA)
Jenny Marketou (Greece/USA), Martha Colburn (USA), Federico Solmi
(Italy), Alterazioni Video (Italy), Damien Aspe (France), Makoto Aida
(Japan), Alfred Porres (Spain), Christoph Draeger (Switzerland), Perry
Bard (USA), Olga Kisseleva(France/Russia), Martin Sexton
(Ireland/Great Britain)..

The concept of the show straddles the territory between poetic
terrorism proper (disruptive interventionist acts)

and works that deal with terror by consciously commenting on it as a
very serious subject. Still addressing terrorism in all its forms
directly, the videos and films are made from a point of view of the
symbolic, in its spiritual, human, reflective, and sensitive
manifestations; the poetics and even humorous character of the art is
dramatized rather than the pure document. The works of the artists in
"Poetic Terrorism" assert that the political is not only painful,
personal, and visual, it is also deeply, affectingly comical and at
times nearly abstract.

Peter Lamborn Wilson, also known as Hakim Bey, an American-born,
self-described anarchist, poet, public intellectual, psychedelic
explorer, artist, social critic, and Sufi mystic who coined the term
Poetic Terrorism, spells out the following imperatives in his
manifesto:

"Poetic Terrorism is not terrorism. Rather it is an act of a very
particular nature. It is a disruptive act, one that insinuates itself
into the public space, like the uncontrollable growth of weeds on the
sidewalk. It has the anarchistic goal of taking over of the streets.
It is art without the hype and commercialism.

The audience's reaction or aesthetic shock produced by 'Poetic
Terrorism' ought to be at least as strong as the emotion of terror,
resulting in powerful disgust, sexual arousal, superstitious awe,
sudden intuitive breakthroughs, dadaesque angst--no matter whether the
poetic terrorism is aimed at one person or many, no matter whether it
is signed or anonymous, if it does not change someone's life (aside
from the artist), it fails.

The PTerrorist behaves like a confidence-trickster whose

aim is not money but CHANGE.

Don't do poetic terrorism for other artists, do it for people who will
not realize (at least for a few moments) that what you have done is
art. Avoid recognizable art-categories, avoid politics, don't stick
around to argue, don't be sentimental; be ruthless, take risks,
vandalize only what must be defaced, do something children will
remember all their lives--but don't be spontaneous unless the muse of
"Poetic Terrorism" has possessed you.

Dress up. Leave a false name. Be legendary. The best poetic terrorism
is against the law, but don't get caught. Art as crime; crime as art."
(from Hakim Bey's "Poetic Terrorism," 1985)

The great 18th century master Goya proved himself to be a radical
artist in his time by the series of "Los Caprichos" -- probably the
first cartoons in art history expressing discontent and criticism of
the government through socio/political satire. As with the artists in
"Poetic Terrorism" they provide viewers with images of deceit,
corruption, war, violence, political upheaval, terror, betrayal,
death, with an underlying hope for love, peace, trust, beauty, and
harmony.