| Simon Biggs on 2 Sep 2000 17:52:20 -0000 |
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| <nettime> Ars Electronica and its political context |
>Its good that some people have finally recognized the Free Speech Project >in our program. I hope you all can come to judge whether Ars Electronica >meets your expectations. > >Gerfried Stocker ----- I doubt that this will be enough. Way before Haider Austria was already a difficult country to be in if you are not a conventional person (eg: if your sexual/drug/cultural/political preferences are not mainstream Austrian, or if your skin is the wrong colour). I first attended Ars in 1986, at which time I was accused by a group of Austrian artists of being a communist American (in fact, at that time, I was an anarchist Australian) and was threatened with a broken bottle (and this in the Brucknerhaus). Why was I threatened? Because I was there with an American friend (who, whilst being a very famous composer, was also Jewish) and we were clear in our disenchantment with Waltheim, who as we know was a Fascist and President of Austria at that time. We were informed that whilst they (the Austro-German's) had failed to get us in 1939 they would get us in 1989. We laughed, at which point they attacked us. These were not lager-louts but supposedly sophisticated artists and intellectuals. I have never experienced this sort of behaviour in Germany. I have been back to Austria several times since, and to Ars too, but always with trepidation. This is a naturally right wing country, where difference is hardly tolerated. Haider is no surprise. Hitler was from Linz. In 1987 I was in Linz again and I found an old postcard in a shop in the main platz which on the postcard was called AdolphHitlerPlatz. I couldn't resist. I sent it to my Jewish friend in New York (who had been with me the year before when we were attacked) simply saying "wish you were here". He thought that was funny. Mind you, he has never returned to Austria. I was arrested in Linz in 1989 for putting my feet up on a seat in a bus! In 1997 I was full body searched, including anal search, for drugs arriving at Linz airport. I mentioned I was an official guest of the festival. They said I had long hair and was from London so I must have drugs (I didn't). I imagine they would arrest you for swearing, or wearing the wrong clothes. They demand you have an identity card (unheard of in the UK). It is like having a number tatooed on your arm. It is a very weird place. Personally I think Timothy Druckrey was overly diplomatic. He should call a spade a spade. Austria and all things Austrian should be boycotted until Haider and his fascist party is disallowed power. Germany has banned such parties, as has the UK and most civilised countries. Simon Biggs London GB [email protected] http://www.easynet.co.uk/simonbiggs/ Professor of Research (Fine Art) Art and Design Research Centre School of Cultural Studies Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield, UK http://www.shu.ac.uk/ # distributed via <nettime>: no commercial use without permission # <nettime> is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, # collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets # more info: [email protected] and "info nettime-l" in the msg body # archive: http://www.nettime.org contact: [email protected]