Interview: Ivan Stanić, curator of the ''SUTRA'' programme at the Festival of science
Development of technology made it possible, and the specific idea for this story was realized at the faculty through my texts in the 3+4 magazine, published by the Art history department. I followed the events on the festivals such as ARS electronica, read magazines like Wired. Then came the story of the Night of Museums, on which I had been working, and the Festival of Science - and finally, all the conditions were met to start the project "SUTRA"...
***
The fourth edition of the Festival of Science was held in Belgrade, from December 3rd to 5th, in three locations - the Kluz shopping centre, Students cultural centre and the National bank of Serbia. The three-day-long programme gave all the visitors a mix of a spectacular, hilarious and mesmerizing world, claim the organizers. Through the interactive workshops with shows, presentations and labs, inspirational lectures on everything that surrounds us and the programme "SUTRA" - everyone who spent a day in the world of science got a real dose of fun, art and education. The part that stood out is exactly"SUTRA" (Serbian word for Tomorrow, but here also an acronym) - a blend of art, technology, diversity and authenticity. It tried to offer answers to contemporary challenges of technology, science, art, interpersonal relations, and all that through several concepts - The Open Pyramid, Surveillance and punishment, Egotoy, Visikord, The Sound Bunch, The Concretizer, Explore the Dumpster, 1:1, Robots Invasion, Pyramid, 3D Fractals, The System of the Absurd, The Eye Writer.
Ivan Stanić, the curator of this programme of the 2010 Festival of Science, speaks for WAVE magazine about the origin of the concept of "SUTRA", recycled art, attitude towards plastic surgery, sound polluted environment, virtual reality and communication of art with its recipients.
Where does the idea for the programme "SUTRA" come from? How did you come up with this acronym that blends art, technology, diversity and authenticity?
- My interest in technology has existed for three decades. When I was a teenager, my parents bought the first home computer ZX Spectrum for me and my brother, and then I continued following computer technologies and possibilities. At the same time, I was interested in art, both practically and theoretically. There was always a desire to combine the two, which then seemed to be opposites.
The word "SUTRA" showed three important qualities: the meaning which is related to the idea of this project, the sound (short and effective, sometimes even confusing), and the third, every letter is the beginning of a word that is relevant for the project itself, and which we reached after careful consideration. The first three letters were clear, but there was a lot of contemplation with R and A, because those words were supposed to give a broader explanation of what is going on, what we want.
The OPEN PYRAMID emphasizes waste, recycling and the transformation of reality into art. How much can artists today find themselves in the reality full of recycling materials and create a new work of art? How much of what is truly valuable and sometimes overcome, but now revived is there actually in these digitalized and artificial times?
- The idea of recycling in art is as old as art itself. The reality itself which is being reinterpreted daily contains in itself a large portion of our recycled previous experiences. Artists are forced to recycle, no matter how much they may be convinced to be creating something completely new. There is no such thing as an absolutely new work of art. Technology is new, and it is the facilitator. Artists only use it and find new ways of manipulating with it. The world of art never loses the fine core that makes it different from everything else. Every period has its own aesthetics and it is never worth any less than something from the past. Art does not live an everyday life. Its time has different parameters from those of an individual. That is why it is often said that art is timeless, of course, the high-quality kind.
EGOTOY raises the issue of degrading one's body when faced with the surge of plastic surgery. What is the message you wanted to send to the visitors who came to see the installation and were faced with what you showed them?
- Art is not the one that should make the final judgments. It has different viewpoints on reality. Plastic surgery is not negative. It is bad when it is abused and when it shows (as is the case with Michael Jackson or the singer of the band Dead or Alive). Egotoy is a reaction to the inevitable evil that genetic engineering brings. In order to get a new ear, we use a lab rat, or more precisely, human cartilage feeds on the body of the host to which it is attached. Just as Mickey Mouse is represented as an albino with an ear attached (the above mentioned sculpture), a lab rat (which usually is an albino) carries a human ear - they are a part of our lives, but not the nature we often nostalgically refer to. A lab rat is as artificial as the character of Mickey Mouse. They are created with a certain purpose. This topic questions our moral standpoints, and that is one of the ideas that the artist wanted to put forward with this sculpture.
The SOUND BUNCH poses the question of acoustic pollution, which is left forgotten due to the problems of ozone holes, the purity of air and water. How is the environment polluted by sounds, what is the degree of caution necessary with that comparing to other polluters?
- In big city centres, noise pollution is huge. It is created by various machines that people created to ease their everyday life (all kinds of transport, factories, computers etc.) but also by different manmade sounds. Noise creates new, louder noise, and it keeps multiplying. Some things we remember, other repeat, some get deformed under the influence of the environment, and on others we can have an effect - the Sound bunch is about all that.
The level of noise produced by the new machines is lower than that of the previous versions. On the other hand, their number is greater. That is why the level of noise is on the rise. Our wireless helpers have a share in increasing the noise. Our MP3 players, mobile phones ringing, our mobile phone conversations on the street and in the traffic. All that influences our daily life, our stress level, concentration, and all that of course, in a negative context.
The CONTCRETIZER makes you wonder about the degree of interaction between the artist - work of art - the recipient nowadays? Are there any changes in the communication of the audience with art?
- The contemporary spirit must be reflected in art as well. Technology is interactive, young people are used to participating, changing, being part of everything they use. Due to that experience, they expect to come to a show and participate in it actively. That does not happen often. In Serbia, art is still mostly passive and relies on non-attractive, old-fashioned ways of communication and aesthetics. Here, art is mostly behind the times. The Concretizer is the real example of how the relation between the work of art and the recipient should be changed.
According to the 1:1 programme, it seems that people today have abandoned themselves to the rules of the virtual world. Is there anyone who does not participate, who is only an on-looker? Is it possible to stay outside that practically non-existent world?
- The process of contracting the real and the virtual, which started intensively with the appearance of the Internet, is slowly gaining momentum. We are leaving the schizophrenic situation where we could differentiate between the electronic and non-electronic worlds. Today, it is almost impossible to imagine the daily life without the Internet, mobile phones and various electronic devices. It is up to us to decide how and how much we will use all those possibilities. That world is integrated into our reality. Most people still believe that they actively participate in its creation, when actually they function and think automatically by somebody else's design. It's something like the Matrix. Life outside our contemporary world is certainly possible, but that kind of choice is no longer relevant for the times that are approaching.
The ROBOTS INVASION ridicules the cult of perfection in the media world. Robots with mirrors twist the image of human body and make a parody of the forced narcissism. What is your view of the modern man, to whom it is only left to buy himself?
- The modern man is being swamped with perfection, the need to constantly feel dissatisfied is being imposed on him. Most commercials and aesthetics promote easy and quick attainment of goals, and everything can be bought. The images of perfection offered by the media are neither attainable, nor do they exist or are necessary. Narcissism in the virtual world is twisted to the point of freakiness. The problem is that we are losing the distance and easily becoming a part of this automatic process, we are becoming robots.
by IVANA SPASOJEVIĆ
published: http://www.wavemagazine.net/arhiva/50/culture/ivan-stanic-sutra-festival-science.htm
Development of technology made it possible, and the specific idea for this story was realized at the faculty through my texts in the 3+4 magazine, published by the Art history department. I followed the events on the festivals such as ARS electronica, read magazines like Wired. Then came the story of the Night of Museums, on which I had been working, and the Festival of Science - and finally, all the conditions were met to start the project "SUTRA"...
***
The fourth edition of the Festival of Science was held in Belgrade, from December 3rd to 5th, in three locations - the Kluz shopping centre, Students cultural centre and the National bank of Serbia. The three-day-long programme gave all the visitors a mix of a spectacular, hilarious and mesmerizing world, claim the organizers. Through the interactive workshops with shows, presentations and labs, inspirational lectures on everything that surrounds us and the programme "SUTRA" - everyone who spent a day in the world of science got a real dose of fun, art and education. The part that stood out is exactly"SUTRA" (Serbian word for Tomorrow, but here also an acronym) - a blend of art, technology, diversity and authenticity. It tried to offer answers to contemporary challenges of technology, science, art, interpersonal relations, and all that through several concepts - The Open Pyramid, Surveillance and punishment, Egotoy, Visikord, The Sound Bunch, The Concretizer, Explore the Dumpster, 1:1, Robots Invasion, Pyramid, 3D Fractals, The System of the Absurd, The Eye Writer.Ivan Stanić, the curator of this programme of the 2010 Festival of Science, speaks for WAVE magazine about the origin of the concept of "SUTRA", recycled art, attitude towards plastic surgery, sound polluted environment, virtual reality and communication of art with its recipients.
Where does the idea for the programme "SUTRA" come from? How did you come up with this acronym that blends art, technology, diversity and authenticity?
- My interest in technology has existed for three decades. When I was a teenager, my parents bought the first home computer ZX Spectrum for me and my brother, and then I continued following computer technologies and possibilities. At the same time, I was interested in art, both practically and theoretically. There was always a desire to combine the two, which then seemed to be opposites.
The word "SUTRA" showed three important qualities: the meaning which is related to the idea of this project, the sound (short and effective, sometimes even confusing), and the third, every letter is the beginning of a word that is relevant for the project itself, and which we reached after careful consideration. The first three letters were clear, but there was a lot of contemplation with R and A, because those words were supposed to give a broader explanation of what is going on, what we want.
The OPEN PYRAMID emphasizes waste, recycling and the transformation of reality into art. How much can artists today find themselves in the reality full of recycling materials and create a new work of art? How much of what is truly valuable and sometimes overcome, but now revived is there actually in these digitalized and artificial times?- The idea of recycling in art is as old as art itself. The reality itself which is being reinterpreted daily contains in itself a large portion of our recycled previous experiences. Artists are forced to recycle, no matter how much they may be convinced to be creating something completely new. There is no such thing as an absolutely new work of art. Technology is new, and it is the facilitator. Artists only use it and find new ways of manipulating with it. The world of art never loses the fine core that makes it different from everything else. Every period has its own aesthetics and it is never worth any less than something from the past. Art does not live an everyday life. Its time has different parameters from those of an individual. That is why it is often said that art is timeless, of course, the high-quality kind.
EGOTOY raises the issue of degrading one's body when faced with the surge of plastic surgery. What is the message you wanted to send to the visitors who came to see the installation and were faced with what you showed them?
- Art is not the one that should make the final judgments. It has different viewpoints on reality. Plastic surgery is not negative. It is bad when it is abused and when it shows (as is the case with Michael Jackson or the singer of the band Dead or Alive). Egotoy is a reaction to the inevitable evil that genetic engineering brings. In order to get a new ear, we use a lab rat, or more precisely, human cartilage feeds on the body of the host to which it is attached. Just as Mickey Mouse is represented as an albino with an ear attached (the above mentioned sculpture), a lab rat (which usually is an albino) carries a human ear - they are a part of our lives, but not the nature we often nostalgically refer to. A lab rat is as artificial as the character of Mickey Mouse. They are created with a certain purpose. This topic questions our moral standpoints, and that is one of the ideas that the artist wanted to put forward with this sculpture.
The SOUND BUNCH poses the question of acoustic pollution, which is left forgotten due to the problems of ozone holes, the purity of air and water. How is the environment polluted by sounds, what is the degree of caution necessary with that comparing to other polluters?- In big city centres, noise pollution is huge. It is created by various machines that people created to ease their everyday life (all kinds of transport, factories, computers etc.) but also by different manmade sounds. Noise creates new, louder noise, and it keeps multiplying. Some things we remember, other repeat, some get deformed under the influence of the environment, and on others we can have an effect - the Sound bunch is about all that.
The level of noise produced by the new machines is lower than that of the previous versions. On the other hand, their number is greater. That is why the level of noise is on the rise. Our wireless helpers have a share in increasing the noise. Our MP3 players, mobile phones ringing, our mobile phone conversations on the street and in the traffic. All that influences our daily life, our stress level, concentration, and all that of course, in a negative context.
The CONTCRETIZER makes you wonder about the degree of interaction between the artist - work of art - the recipient nowadays? Are there any changes in the communication of the audience with art?
- The contemporary spirit must be reflected in art as well. Technology is interactive, young people are used to participating, changing, being part of everything they use. Due to that experience, they expect to come to a show and participate in it actively. That does not happen often. In Serbia, art is still mostly passive and relies on non-attractive, old-fashioned ways of communication and aesthetics. Here, art is mostly behind the times. The Concretizer is the real example of how the relation between the work of art and the recipient should be changed.
According to the 1:1 programme, it seems that people today have abandoned themselves to the rules of the virtual world. Is there anyone who does not participate, who is only an on-looker? Is it possible to stay outside that practically non-existent world?- The process of contracting the real and the virtual, which started intensively with the appearance of the Internet, is slowly gaining momentum. We are leaving the schizophrenic situation where we could differentiate between the electronic and non-electronic worlds. Today, it is almost impossible to imagine the daily life without the Internet, mobile phones and various electronic devices. It is up to us to decide how and how much we will use all those possibilities. That world is integrated into our reality. Most people still believe that they actively participate in its creation, when actually they function and think automatically by somebody else's design. It's something like the Matrix. Life outside our contemporary world is certainly possible, but that kind of choice is no longer relevant for the times that are approaching.
The ROBOTS INVASION ridicules the cult of perfection in the media world. Robots with mirrors twist the image of human body and make a parody of the forced narcissism. What is your view of the modern man, to whom it is only left to buy himself?
- The modern man is being swamped with perfection, the need to constantly feel dissatisfied is being imposed on him. Most commercials and aesthetics promote easy and quick attainment of goals, and everything can be bought. The images of perfection offered by the media are neither attainable, nor do they exist or are necessary. Narcissism in the virtual world is twisted to the point of freakiness. The problem is that we are losing the distance and easily becoming a part of this automatic process, we are becoming robots.
by IVANA SPASOJEVIĆ
published: http://www.wavemagazine.net/arhiva/50/culture/ivan-stanic-sutra-festival-science.htm
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