Re: <nettime> The Society of the Unspectacular

[Morlock Elloi <morlockelloi@yahoo.com>]

I'll propose a purely information-theory and somewhat mechanical
answer to this issue.

As the art is effected through the exposure to information (which will
hopefully fire some unused synapses and modify the future behaviour
of its customers,) the real change with the networked society is that
the noise floor of the information intake is going up. Until up to
few decades ago, information feed was mostly a matter of choice - one
would go to the church, read a book, watch something on the screen,
peep through the hole, etc.

Today the choice is mostly about which information gets stopped - our
decision efforts are about what we don't want to find out - we are
burning brain cycles not for seeking but for defense. Getting less
shit is considered to be a success. There are few resources left for
finding gems.

It's like wartime - you are lucky to find uncontaminated food and
bullet-proof shelter, there is no time for chefs and architects.
Unlike regular war where most eventually get pissed at the carnage,
it is not clear that there is a viable opposition to the information
carpet bombing. It is clear, however, that while it's going on you can
forget about art.



end (of original message)

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