[Reader-list] Of art, morality, etc.

[Logos Theatre]

Dear Pranesh,
        Since your mail was not sent to the reader list, I am including the
text of your mail also.
         Very frankly speaking, your mail leaves me completely stupefied.
Let me ask you a question - you see someone being robbed on the streets, and
afterwards the robber politely comes to you and offers you a fraction of the
money to create art. Would you take it? In other words, the answer to your
question, *'Can't one wing do good work, and another be "ethically" evil,
and still one not be "soiled" by associating with the one and not the
other?' *is a clear and emphatic NO. There is a fundamental law of
non-contradiction, and by that, if you create art based on money taken from
the Tatas, then you have got the blood of Tapasi Malik (and others) on your
hands. If you take a West Bengal government department of culture grant, you
have got the blood of the dead in Nandigram on your hands. Whether you
choose to acknowledge it or not.
Warm regards,
Arka


On 31/07/2008, Pranesh Prakash <the.solipsist at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear All,
> Very frankly speaking, I don't see the issue.  Why can't one be a
> reaseacher, honestly chronicling the good work (or lack thereof) done by the
> various Tata Trusts.  Why is there the necessity of lumping all of the Tata
> group's identities into one?  Can't one wing do good work, and another be
> "ethically" evil, and still one not be "soiled" by associating with the one
> and not the other?  Union Carbide (now part of Dow Chemicals) is a company
> that has ravaged the lives of thousands in one of the worst industrial
> disasters ever, and is a company that no self-respecting citizen of this
> world should contribute to until they act responsibly.  Does that make their
> community outreach programmes in the U.S. worth nought?  Can't we at the
> same time praise one thing they do, while condemning another, and yet not be
> hypocrites?  The Tata Trusts, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and a
> million other Tata initiatives do sterling work. While praising them, and
> contributing to them, we can still advocate against the actions of other
> wings of the Tata empire.
>
> I am somehow convinced that my response is not going to convince you.
>
> Regards,
> Pranesh
>
>  On Thu, Jul 31, 2008 at 01:21, Baruk S. Jacob <b_a_r_u_k at yahoo.com>wrote:
>
>> hey arka, read your mail with much interest-areas i have been thinking
>> about too. my responses below, thanks for bringing this up!
>>
>>
>> > In each state, three cities will be covered. We will be capturing
>> > information under the following areas through the study:
>> >
>> > • Growth and decline of groups and performances over the last ten years
>> >
>> > • The needs and problems faced by performance groups and festival
>> > organizers
>> >
>> > • The advantages and disadvantages of performance spaces in each city
>> >
>> > • The ways in which grantees of different Tata Trusts have tried to
>> > address some of the needs and issues of performance infrastructure
>>
>>
>> ~ i may be overly paranoid, but the line of questioning seems to be trying
>> to get at two things: 1) document how the tatas have 'helped' cultural
>> pursuit by providing infrastructure, and 2) how can the tatas gain more
>> cultural mileage and brand goodwill among people (by providing more
>> infrastructure).
>>
>> > Our grant programmes variously respond to existing demand for
>> > assistance, provide opportunities for artists to explore untried
>> > processes and new connections in the arts, or address systemic issues in
>> > the field.
>>
>>
>> ~ notice that the areas given support are 'processes' and 'systemic'
>> issues in theatre? in other words, play safely academic.
>>
>> > The Theatre Infrastructure Cell(TIC) was set up earlier this year with
>>  > the support of the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust to look at strengthening  >
>>  theatre infrastructure in the country.
>>
>>
>> ~ as long as you stick to experiments in technicalities, and do not offend
>> the hand that feeds you.
>>
>> > in as much as theatre itself is an act of taking a stance,
>> > an act of principle that takes immense moral courage to execute, I
>> > wonder how an artist or an artiste could work with Tata money (or money
>> > from any organization funded by them) and yet be at peace with
>> > himself/herself?
>>
>>
>> ~ one can take a principled stance on either side of the fence. while i
>> personally would find it awfully difficult to work off a tata grant, it does
>> not therefore follow that all artist(e)s would therefore have the same
>> difficulty.
>>
>> > does such 'art' have any integrity? Any moral leg to stand on?"*
>>
>>
>> ~ i tend to take the word 'integrity' at dictionary value-the fact of
>> one's actions being integrated with one's beliefs. by that definition, any
>> art that is true to the artist's beliefs has integrity.
>>
>> ~ to sum up, i completely share in your horror of tata's actions at
>> singur, and am equally disgusted at the way they try to play the role of the
>> old kings, patronising the arts with ill-gotten money. having said that, i
>> cannot impose the moral standard i hold for myself on other artists. just
>> the way i would not appreciate it if they were to impose their moral
>> standards on me!
>>
>> regards,
>>
>> baruk
>>
>> http://bottlebroke.blogspot.com
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>



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