| Casseurs2hype on Wed, 17 Dec 2003 13:43:43 +0100 (CET) |
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| Re: [nettime-fr] Fw: RHIZOME_RAW: How a fake is manipulating the art scene |
Mort2rire ! "Label du fake" On en redemande !!! Du grand (net) Art. Merci Alexandre :) Les cassos2rien http://casseurs2hype.free.fr/press/nouvel_OBs_dec2003.JPG ----- Original Message ----- From: "nck" <[email protected]> To: "Liste nettime fr (nck)" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 9:30 AM Subject: [nettime-fr] Fw: RHIZOME_RAW: How a fake is manipulating the art scene > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Agricola de Cologne" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 9:12 AM > Subject: RHIZOME_RAW: How a fake is manipulating the art scene > > > > [How a fake is manipulating the art scene - a new form of cyber crime] > > > > A statement by Agricola de Cologne, > > media artist and New Media curator from Cologne/Germany > > > > ----> > > "Herewith, I announce officially my disengagement in > > "Biennale de Paris 2004" (20 February - 15 March 2004) > > www.biennaledeparis.org > > and the cancellation of my participation with effect on 1 December 2003." > > <----- > > > > Cancelling meant taking responsibility > > in order to protect all those institutions, organisations, curators and > > artists, which had joint already my project, > > but in second place also to prevent any further damage > > from my personal reputation as an artist and curator. > > > > What was happening: > > > > When I was invited on 7 October 2003 to participate in the event > > called "Biennale de Paris", I saw it as a chance to realise my ideas > > of "networking as artworking" in the project "RRF 2004" > > which I initiated also on this occasion. > > The concept of my project extended the networking ideas of the concept of > > the Biennial. > > There was really no reason to mistrust the organisation of the Biennale, > > as I had several professional contacts during several years > > to a person named Alexandre Gurita, currently the >director< of "Biennale > > de Paris", > > there seemed to be a lot of internationally well known artists > participating > > (at least at that time, nearly nobody of them is left now) and, above all, > > I had not any negative report about this event at that time, in contrary. > > > > The magic of the name "Biennale de Paris" did not only impress > > and blinded me, but also all other people who came in touch with this > > name. > > > > In order to give my project RRF 2004 concrete dimensions, > > it was necessary to fix as soon as possible all technical details of my > > participation directly in Paris. > > And in this way, the Biennial organisation and I agreed a lot of things > > which had to > > be prepared for that purpose and I fixed a date when I would go to Paris. > > And then, I was recently in November in Paris, indeed, and on my own > > expenses. > > > > Knowing, how professional organisations are structured and working, > > I expected to meet competent people working professionally, > > but this was the first shock, there was nothing like that. > > > > The Biennale organisation consisted actually of one single person, > > Alexandre Gurita, who calls himself director of "Biennale de Paris". > > We met each other in his small and shabby privat flat, > > as there is no official office of "Biennale de Paris", > > and nothing we had agreed was prepared, at all. > > > > I had expected to view several artspaces (as agreed) which would host the > > installation of my project in physical space, > > to meet professional people at medialabs etc > > but finally, I was offered one single very poor space, which manifested > > itself as a disgusting underground space > > somewhere at the Parisian suburbs far from any public................. > > It was shocking to see, that this person was only talking and talking and > > nothing happened in the end. > > My visit to Paris was a nightmare and I had to be a tourist against my own > > will, as I visited some museums , instead of preparing my art project. > > > > But there were some good reasons why all that happened to me, > > as during my stay in Paris I found out the following by research: > > > > Some years ago, the French Ministry of Culture > > (together with the municipality of Paris responsible for the "Biennale de > > Paris") > > moved the official French Biennale (Biennale de Paris) from Paris to Lyon > > (now- Biennale de Lyon) as a result of the decentralisation in France, > > and a guy, named Alexandre Gurita took the chance to buy the rights on the > > name "Biennale de Paris". > > When he started to use this once official name for his privat purposes, > > the result was a conflict with nearly > > all official instances as French Ministry of Culture etc. > > > > Someone from outside might even find this story quite amusing ---> > > a kind of Robin Hood was fighting against the Parisian establishment, > > which is most hated by many people in France. > > In this way, Alexandre Gurita seemed to be well tolerated by some > > people, mostly artists, of course. > > But the matter is anything else than funny, > > while viewing all aspects and consequences connected, and they are only > > shocking. > > > > One of the serious consequences are, > > that the French Ministry of Culture and a lot of other official instances > > refuse any contact and > > support to the Biennale organisation, as long as > > Alexandre Gurita keeps the name "Biennale de Paris" as his private > property. > > As this conflict is still cooking > > it must be expected the Biennale would be closed or stopped by juridical > > order immediately at the opening or even earlier or later. > > To be involved in such a situation would be a most horrible perspective. > > > > Of course, there are also many events which have no public funding at all, > > and many of them are on an high qualitative level, even if they have no > > budget, at all, > > but in this case the consequences are very fatal also in some other > concern, > > as the Biennale organisation cannot offer any artist any public artspace > > (which all belong to the municipality or the state), > > but also not any other appropriate artspace, > > due to the incompetence and the lack of any professional contacts. > > > > The legal conditions were in addition completely obscure, as there was no > > contract > > which was settling essential questions as liability, insurance, expenses > etc > > and this became also no matter of discussion. > > > > But it was also nearly consequent that I could actually not agree with > > the pseudo-philosophical ideas coming more and more in front in the > > discussion. > > > > In this way, it became clear, why I had to go to Paris in vain ----> > > in the framework of "Biennale de Paris" > > there was simply not anything possible on a professional level. > > What was called "Biennale de Paris" was a caricature and a fake, in fact. > > > > After four days in Paris, I was completely exhausted from all this > nonsense. > > However, I wanted to be legally correct, > > and before I left Paris I set the organisator a final deadline (Sunday, 30 > > November) > > until he had to offer me a well respected institution in Paris, > > which would be hosting my project during the "Biennale". > > > > I do not need to explain to you, how I felt when I left Paris > > and I actually did not know, what to do, > > as I saw not only my project RRF 2004, but my entire artistic career in > > high danger, and felt the heavy burden of responsibility. > > RRF 2004 was initiated on occasion of this "fake" and had the magic label > of > > this "fake", and I felt like a criminal who was an accomplice of this > > "fake". > > > > I did honestly not expect anything from this final deadline, > > and it passed and nothing happened, indeed . > > > > But meanwhile additional details underlined the "fake" character of this > > event as it had become obvious, that a number of the artists listed as > > participating and nearly the entire "International Support Committee" > > seemed to be purely fictive and a fake, as well. > > You find there a lot of names of persons who exist physically, > > but these people do not know about their function in Biennale de Paris at > > all, they do not even know anything about this event, some other people > are > > even dead as Pierre Restany ( a charismatic and well known person in the > > Paris art scene), who died already much earlier this year. > > > > Then I heard that also other artists who had obviously recognised > > what the "real" Biennale represents were cancelling their > > participation.......... > > ........ > > (1 December 2003) > > ... now the deadline had passed and while viewing all that and much more > > there was really no other alternative > > than cancelling my participation in "Biennale de Paris" > > immediately and waste no more time, > > in order to prevent any damage from those who joint my project as an > > institution, organisation, curator and artist > > and to protect my reputation as an artist and curator from any further > > damage. > > > > (11 December 2003) > > Was already all this what I explained a nightmare, it was even topped, > > however, by what was following: > > Alexandre Gurita took my name and the names of some other artists > > who had also cancelled their participation, as a hostage and refused for > ten > > days > > to remove our names from the website of "Biennale de Paris". > > He manipulate continuously the information posted on the Biennale site and > > moved the names from one document to another, it was a kind of cat/mouse > > game and > > there was no chance to remove our names from this criminal environment, > > until I took a lawyer in Paris who took juridical steps against Mr. > Gurita. > > On Tuesday, 10 December in the evening not only my name, > > but also the names of the other artists hostages were removed. > > This was really hard work in quite a short time, as the legal conditions > > between different countries > > (Cologne in Germany/Paris in France) are always complex, but the nightmare > > had now an end. > > > > -------> > > > > There was no other way, but it was also extremely bitter, to inform all > > those > > about 250 people, institutions and organisations individually > > which were connected ever to the organisation of RRF 2004 and > > ask for their understanding and whether they would remain participating > > in my project or continue discussing their participation without the magic > > label of the fake. > > > > I am really glad and most grateful, that immediately some of the involved > > institutions > > re-confirmed the collaboration process as the > > National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucaresti/Romania, > > New Media Festival Bangkok 2004, Folly New Media Institute Lancaster (UK), > > BEK Bergen/Norway and some others, so that the damage seems to be limited. > > My re-organised global networking project RRF 2004 can now be further > > developed > > on a really professional level and can be operating until the end of 2004, > > as it was planned. > > > > signed on 16 December 2003 > > by > > Wilfried Agricola de Cologne > > Cologne/Germany > > > > > //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// > > ////////////////////////////////////////// > > > > Resume > > > > As "Biennale de Paris" had been once the official name of an official > event, > > it would have been in any case most stupid > > if anybody would have used this name for his private purposes. > > It was most unlikely that anybody would get such an absurd idea. > > Therefore all people who came in contact were blinded by the magic of the > > name. > > > > Even more stupid and adventurous was the idea to put this new > > "Biennale de Paris" on a same level as Venice Biennale, > > Tokyo Biennial or DOKUMENTA/Kassel, as it had been done. > > And this all the more, as the pseudo-organisation of > > Alexandre Gurita has no budget, at all, to finance only the paper for > > writing a letter. > > > > Such an idea can come only from a schizophrenic, > > who has lost any sense for reality. > > In so far, such a person is most dangerous, > > as he brings disaster to everybody who comes too close. > > > > The most frightening thing is, however, that this person, named Alexandre > > Gurita, - > > it is meanwhile not even clear whether this name is true or not - was and > > is still protected > > by a lot of people, in first place by a mafia-like structure of buddies, > > and in second place, and this is most relevant, by all those people > > who know about the matter and do nothing against it. > > > > These sponsors listed on www.biennaledeparis.org > > support officially "Biennale de Paris 2004" > > > > Alyasis http://www.aliasys.fr/ > > ARCHISTORM http://www.archistorm.com/ > > ART PROCESS http://www.art-process.com/ , an empty domain > > BATOFAR http://www.batofar.net/ > > CRANE http://www.plus.asso.fr/ > > ETNOKA http://www.etnoka.com/ > > ESPACE SD http://www.espacesd.com/ > > G2J http://www.g2j.com/ > > OPENAY http://www.openay.com/ > > PARIS ART http://www.paris-art.com/ , also sponsor of Musee d'Art > Moderne, > > Paris > > PULPE http://www.pulpe.fr/ > > STAMINIUM http://www.staminium.com/ > > SOUSSAN Ltd http://www.soussancom.com/ , also listed as participating > > artist > > 2 PIECES CUISINE, no website available > > 3DWEAVE - http://www.3dweave.com/ > > > > ----> > > Probably, the Parisians are accustomed to such a kind of absurd theatre > > (the "absurd theatre" was invented in Paris once) and > > probably they even like the thrill to watch how many people are brought > > disaster. > > It was necessary that someone from outside of the French capital unmasked > > this theatre > > and acted in the only possible way - --> > > not accepting, not tolerating, taking responsibility and becoming > > immediately active against it. > > > > + > > -> post: [email protected] > > -> questions: [email protected] > > -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz > > -> give: http://rhizome.org/support > > -> visit: on Fridays the Rhizome.org web site is open to non-members > > + > > Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the > > Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php > > > > > < n e t t i m e - f r > > > Liste francophone de politique, art et culture li�s au Net > Annonces et filtrage collectif de textes. > > <> Informations sur la liste : http://nettime.samizdat.net > <> Archive compl�ves de la listes : http://amsterdam.nettime.org > <> Votre abonnement : http://listes.samizdat.net/wws/info/nettime-fr > <> Contact humain : [email protected] < n e t t i m e - f r > Liste francophone de politique, art et culture li�s au Net Annonces et filtrage collectif de textes. <> Informations sur la liste : http://nettime.samizdat.net <> Archive compl�ves de la listes : http://amsterdam.nettime.org <> Votre abonnement : http://listes.samizdat.net/wws/info/nettime-fr <> Contact humain : [email protected]