20.08.2010

The narcissism of the artist

art critique

The past months I spoke with several people about Memefest and especially when I mentioned ' festival of radical communication' people started to wonder, what is this Memefest, where does it come from? When I said Slovenia, a person told me he was not surprised because in the old Europe (such as the Netherlands) according to him you don't have to have an opinion anymore and in the new Europe and the Balkans everyone has a more strong opinion, is more engaged with society, feels an urge to express their opinion and that's why more new forms of activism, communication and art gets develop in that part of the world. I'm not that updated to know if it is true but I recognize in Dutch society that cultural activities are often more about entertainment of the public or when it comes to art-work in many cases the art-work isn't saying, communicating anything but is just expressing the narcissism of the artist. Time for Memefest.

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oliver

13 years, 9 months

An interesting observation from sociologists about Netherlands is that the very mus praised culture of tolerance is actually giving people the excuse not to care about anyone except them selves as long as the other does not interfere in to your own life.

I could observe similar reactions and thoughts as you are describing, when i was talking about Memefest with north Americans. They think that Memefest could evolve from a country that just started it's capitalist journey, still having a socialist historical memory.

I guess this is partly true. When capitalism came to Slovenia it was like a shock. The shock is still here and getting bigger, although a prevailing cynicism that proclaims: "there is no other alternative to capitalism" is stronger and stronger too. The de-politicization - in my opinion- does not manifest it self in lack of opinion, but in the fact that everybody has to have an opinion about everything. However this opinions somehow doesn't correspond to any social action in everyday life. Why is that?
d-cultural

13 years, 9 months

As for the observation of the sociologist considering the Dutch culture of tolerance I can only agree. It is one the things that always supriced me when I was abroad that the Netherlands has the image of being tolerant but in fact we just think everything is fine as long as it indeed does not interfere in or own life. Such indifference can actually harm a society more then it does good. If you put it in the extreme we find even every morbit unjust action just fine as long as we do not see it. Close your eyes and it is not there. It encourages passivism and a world where we simply don't care (except about ourselves). In some way we became used to express words and opinions that are empty or thought that it is more important to give a reaction no matter the meaning of it. In a society where words and opinions do not have consequenses and true meaning it will always never lead to any social action. What made us passive I wonder?