Alan Edward Larsen [email protected]
“WE ARE ALL PUSSY RIOT”: A PHANTOM COUNTERPUBLIC’S SIMULATIONIST TACTICS
This paper discusses how the tactics of the Russian punk/protest group Pussy Riot provide models for cultural resistance that respond – through the group’s approach to self-definition (forming a collective identity open to appropriation by dispersed publics) and methods of representation within the public sphere (fictionalized representations of interventions in public space designed to travel as media images through the network) – to the dynamics of power in network society. In their implementation of these tactics,
Pussy Riot’s work is imbued with a sense of play, creating images that address the imagination that have inspired identification with the group and solidarity actions.
With the trial – and now, imprisonment of members of the group – the story of
Pussy Riot has tended to be framed in a familiar manner: free speech vs. repressive state control. It is hard to argue against this reading. As the Riot Girl icon Kathleen Hanna noted in the title of a blog post during the trial: “Seriously they are in a Fucking Cage!!!”1
But framing Pussy Riot in these terms risks covering over the complexity of the project.
The work of Pussy Riot is actually weirder and more complicated, and needs to be analyzed in terms of how it addresses collective forms of identity, the nature of political representation and dissent in the contemporary networked media environment.
I begin with a discussion of how the group created conditions for individuals to feel a deep personal identification with the group, facilitating the formation of counterpublics in response to the texts of the group. The group achieved this through a variety of means: the style of the performances, the use of graphically simple masks,
1 anonymity, the fluid membership of the group and statements that encouraged people to use their tactics as templates for further actions.
Referencing comics scholar Scott McCloud I show how the graphic simplicity of the group’s balaclava masks was not only a method for evading identification by authorities, but also a method for promoting identification with the group. Turning the face of an individual into a reduced, cartoon-like image – eyes and mouth, outline of the head – encourages a viewer to understand this face as not unlike her own. This type of
“open” mask is contrasted to the highly specific Guy Fawkes masks associated with the group Anonymous and a recurring presence at Occupy Wall Street actions.
Pussy Riot’s masks also allowed them to present the group as a movement rather than a small group of individuals. Drawing on Brian Holmes’ discussion of “collective phantoms” I demonstrate how the group created a shared collective identity that is available for appropriation as a tactic to avoid the ability of state power to identify and punish dissenters and the tendency of commercial media to report on individual personalities rather than issues. Thus the threat Pussy Riot posed was never the threat of a small group of women but the threat of a social movement whose numbers could not be counted.
Drawing from McKenzie Wark (“vectoral power”) and Critical Art Ensemble
(their theorization of digital resistance) I discuss how in network society public space has become problematic as a site for protest and the staging of social struggle even while “the street” continues to exert a strong pull on our imaginations. I then show how – in a time in which the power of presence and the power of media representation go hand and street tactics and media tactics are intertwined – Pussy Riot play fast and loose with the truth in
2 their videos, using the street, not as a site of resistance or a point of engagement with the public sphere, but as a backdrop, a set, leveraging its symbolic power to create highly constructed documentary-like images of events that never quite happened, but are designed to travel through the network. Thus, while supporters of Pussy Riot have characterized the group as playing “unsanctioned concerts as a means of political protest”
2the group are engaged in what I call “simulationist tactics” creating fictions that speak to the imagination and provoke mimicry and identification in dispersed publics.
How effective were these tactics? As a media event, Pussy Riot was huge, implicating a range of celebrities (Madonna, Bjork, Garry Kasparov), the US State
Department, and of course countless commentators. The arrest and trial, however, identified and unmasked three distinct members of the amorphous collective, making an example of these women and working to turn Pussy Riot from an idea back into individuals. With faces and biographies it was possible for supporters and detractors both to treat them as individuals, framed as heroes or as demons. This individualization of formerly anonymous members of the collective was an attempt to neutralize the collective threat. As the individual Pussy Riot members become more individually articulated in the media the phantom nature of Pussy Riot is jeopardized. However, it is in the nature of tactical media to allow for self-terminating projects and it is fitting that a phantom might disappear into the ether rather than allow itself to be captured and quantified. Still, the style of Pussy Riot has become a kind of shorthand for resistance to state authority and patriarchal culture with many variations in different contexts, thus the available vocabulary of contemporary protest has been expanded and I end with a review of a diverse range of Pussy Riot solidarity actions around the world.
3 PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulation. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1995.
Borenstein, Eliot. “Pussy Riot: the telenovela?” Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia. New York University. 12 Oct. 2012. 1 May 2013.
Braidotti, Rosi. Nomadic Theory: the Portable Rosi Braidotti. New York: Columbia University Press, 2011.
Braidotti, Rosi. “What Pussy Riot Know.” ENACT – Enacting European Citizenship. 25 Mar. 2013, 20 Aug. 2013.
Chehonadskih, Maria. “What is Pussy Riot’s ‘Idea’?” Radical Philosophy 176 (2012). 1 May 2013
Chernov, Sergey. “Female Fury.” St. Petersburg Times 1693. 1 Feb. 2012. 1 May 2013.
Critical Art Ensemble, Electronic Civil Disobedience, Autonomedia, 1996.
Dean, Jodi. “Communicative Capitalism: Circulation and the Foreclosure of Politics”. Cultural Politics 2005 Volume 1, Number 1: 51-74.
Gibson, William. Pattern Recognition. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group, 2003.
Holmes, Brian “Unleashing the Collective Phantom (Resistance to Networked Individualism).” Mute, 10 May 2002. 1 May 2013.
Lefebvre, Henri. The Production of Space. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005.
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. New York: HarperCollins. 1994. Print.
Wark, McKenzie. Telesthesia: Communication, Culture, and Class. Cambridge, UK: Polity, 2012.
4 Wark, McKenzie. “McKenzie Wark on Occupy Wall Street: ‘How to Occupy an Abstraction’” 3 Oct, 2011. 1 May 2013. Verso Books.
Warner, Michael. Publics and Counterpublics. New York: Zone, 2002.
Zagvozdina, Darya “‘Art and politics are inseparable for us’ - interview with Pussy Riot.” 27 Feb. 2012. Gazeta.ru
Žižek, Slavoj. “The True Blasphemy: Slavoj Žižek on Pussy Riot” Dangerous Minds. 10 Aug. 2012. 1 May 2013
1. Hanna, Kathleen. “Seriously they are in a Fucking Cage!!!” Website. 7 Aug. 2012. 1 May 2013.
2. “Pussy-Riot-Olympia-Solidarity-hd.mov.” Online video. YouTube. YouTube, 25 Jul. 2012. 1 May 2013
5 Al Larsen PO Box 5074, Burlington, VT 05402 | [email protected]
Research and Production Interests public space, media technologies and subculture, interactive technologies for performance
Academic Appointment Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, BFA in Creative Media Champlain College, Burlington, VT
Education MFA, Media Arts Production (Emerging Practices) Department of Media Study, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY Thesis Committee: Trebor Scholz (chair), Mark Shepard, Sarah Bay-Cheng
BA, English (English Literature) University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Courses Taught Champlain College: Technology as a Disruptive Force Art/Innovation/Resistance Physical Computing Causes of Emergence Puzzles and Prototypes Introduction to Interaction Design Digital Interactive Design Creative Media Portfolio Collaborative Production Thesis Process Integrative Thesis Project I Integrative Thesis Project II
University at Buffalo: Interactive Computer Art Intermediate Digital Arts Basic Digital Arts Social Web Media Interface Design Designing for Web 2.0 Journalism for the Web New Media I (Web Authoring) New Media II (Interactive Multimedia)
Conference Papers, Panels and Talks 2013 Blood, Ketchup and Pussy Riot: The Performance of Public Protest Media in Transition 8, international conference Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
2012 This Video is Public: Pussy Riot, Public Space, Performance and Protest CAMP, Groveland, NY
2011 Grunge and Globalization Popular Culture Association of Canada Conference, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
2009 Showing and Sharing on a Friday Night (After Work! More Work!): Participatory Dynamics in Real Space Event Series Media in Transition 6 international conference Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Popping the Seams/Cracks in the Sidewalk: What Sprouts in the Wake of the Financial Crisis? Doe Bay, Olga, WA
The Graphic Symbol in Hardcore Punk: Participation, Collectivity and Viral Transmission PCAS/ACAS conference, Wilmington, NC
DIY panel discussion, The Public School, Los Angeles, CA
2007 Thinking Small: The Mediated Community and the Economy of Being You series curated by Anna Huff California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
Publications articles, critical writing:
2013 “Fast, cheap and out of control: the graphic symbol in hardcore punk” The Journal of Punk and Post Punk, 2.1 (INTELLECT)
2013 “As Our Bodies Betray Us: Physical Computing for Rock-n-Roll” Critical Making Montreal, edited by Garnet Hertz
2012 “Unfinished Business” P-Queue, edited by Holly Melgard and Joey Yearous-Algozin
2009 “Skating the Hurricane: Crisis and Opportunity” The Squealer, 19.1
2008 “Selling (Out) the Local Scene: Grunge and Globalization” MFA Thesis
“Showing and Sharing on a Saturday Night.” The Squealer, 18.1 published visual art: 2010 The Open Day Book, edited by David P. Earle, Mark Batty Publisher.
Exhibitions, Screenings and Performances work in video, performance, participatory events, sound art
2013 User Required (April 2013) Burlington City Arts, Burlington, VT curated by DJ Hellerman
2012 Champlain College Art Show Champlain College, Burlington, VT
2 2011 E-Poetry 2011: International Digital Language | Arts Festival University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2010 Stimulus Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Buffalo, NY
Wide Margins Western New York Book Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
Faster Pussycat, Spill! Spill! Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Buffalo, NY
Magma Festival Seattle, WA
Big Night Western New York Books Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
2009 Narrow Waters (as part of What the Heck Fest) Anacortes, WA
2008 As Our Bodies Betray Us: Physical Computing for Rock-n-Roll Rust Belt Books, Buffalo, NY
SoundLAB Edition IV: memoryscapes (as part of FILE Electronic Language Festival) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
What the Heck Fest Anacortes, WA
Le Carnaval du Portrait Big Orbit Gallery, Buffalo, NY
2007 Lights! Cameras! Cookies! (as part of What the Heck Fest) Anacortes, WA
Telic Arts Exchange Los Angeles, CA
VELOCITY, Festival of Digital Culture Lancashire, UK
SoundLAB Edition IV: memoryscapes (as part of FILE Electronic Language Festival) Sao Paulo, Brazil
Hot Solder, Smokin' Chips The Burns Building, Buffalo, NY
Immediacy Soundlab, Buffalo, NY
Erie Electric Smartwall Gallery, Alfred University, Alfred, NY
3 Step Into My Office 520 NW Davis, Portland, OR
SoundLAB Edition IV: memoryscapes Casoria International Contemporary Art Museum Casoria, Italy
2006 Space Cave Kitchen Distribution, Buffalo, NY
Net<3 University at Buffalo Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY
SoundLAB Edition IV: memoryscapes (as part of Festival Arte Digital) Rosario, Argentina
SoundLAB Edition IV: memoryscapes (as part of PI – Performance & Intermedia Festival) OFFICYNA, Szczecin, Poland
Locals Only Olympia Film Festival, Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA
Radio Play Back Boom Boxor (as part of Distributed Religion exhibition) The Art Gallery of Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
Spark Art Space Syracuse, NY
2005 Blue-Sky Work Outs curated by Dana Dart-McLean Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR
2004 Yeah! Fest! Olympia, WA
What the Heck Fest Anacortes, WA
Olympia Festival of Experimental Musics Olympia, WA
The Vera Project Seattle, WA
Western Washington University Coffeehouse Bellingham, WA
2003 Paper, Scissors, ROCK curated by Jacob McMurray Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA
Paper, Scissors, ROCK curated by Jacob McMurray
4 Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR
2002 The Powerlines are Down (for six car audio systems in motion) Olympia Arts Walk, Olympia, WA
Community Print Group Show Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA
2001 The Friendship Trail (as part of YoYo a GoGo) Olympia, WA
1999 Community Print Group Show Reading Frenzy, Portland, OR
1996 Caustic Eyesore (as part of NXNW Festival) Ozone, Portland, OR
1994 Flightpaths to Each Other Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland
1991 The Map Show (as part of International Pop Underground Convention) Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA
Recordings albums: 2005 The Hardline According to Danny and the Dinosaur - Al Larsen CD (property is theft)
2003 Property Is Theft Variety Compilation – various artists CD (property is theft)
2001 Appetite for Extinction Vol 2 - Melting Igloo CD (property is theft)
1999 Library Nation - Evil Tambourines CD/LP (Sub Pop)
1997 Generate - Some Velvet Sidewalk CD/LP (K Records)
1995 The Right to Hang Out - Telepathic Youth CS (Pebbles 2000)
1994 Shipwreck - Some Velvet Sidewalk LP/CD (K Records)
1992 Whirlpool - Some Velvet Sidewalk LP/CS/CD (K Records)
1991 Avalanche - Some Velvet Sidewalk LP/CS/CD (K Records)
1990 Appetite for Extinction - Some Velvet Sidewalk
5 LP/CS/CD (K/Communion)
The Insect Way - Al Larsen CS (Pebbles 2000)
1988 From Playground 'ti Now - Some Velvet Sidewalk CS (self-released)
Talks and Panels Organized 2013 Designing User Experiences – panel discussion with four user experience designers Champlain College, Burlington, VT
2008 - Dorkbot Buffalo - presentation series for artists working with technology 2010 organized in collaboration with Jessica Thompson and Brian Clark Sugar City, Buffalo, NY
2009 Chris Carlsson: Nowtopia - visiting scholar lecture University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Seeds of the New Commons: Building the Future in the Present Sugar City, Buffalo, NY
Over, Up, Down, or Through? (as part of Be B In - Baltimore/Buffalo Exchange) organized in collaboration with Melissa Moore Sugar City, Buffalo, NY
2009 An Open Discussion on Making It Happen Anacortes, WA
2009 Media Theory Summer Reading Group Buffalo, NY
2006 The Economics of a Life in the Arts panel and discussion, organized in collaboration with Trebor Scholz Department of Media Study, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
Residencies and Awards 2009 Local Artist Access Residency, Squeaky Wheel Media Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
UUP Professional Development Grant
2008 UUP Professional Development Grant
2007 GSEU Professional Development Grant
1993 International Artist Exchange with travel and living stipend, City of Glasgow, UK
Curatorial Projects 2009 Narrow Waters (as part of What the Heck Fest, Anacortes, WA) in collaboration with Stella Marrs
2007 Erie Electric Smartwall Gallery, Alfred University, Alfred, NY
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2003 Paris68 Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA
Additional Experience 2013 Art Papers Reviewer, ACM SIGGRAPH Conference
Exhibit-Exchange-Envision (faculty research event), Champlain College, Burlington, VT
Makers On Deck, Burlington City Arts, Burlington, VT
2010 Grantwriting and Installation Assistant, Scan Lines (video exhibit curated by Stella Marrs), Tonawanda Art Center, Tonawanda, NY
2008 Member, Graduate Group in Cultural Studies University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
2006 Video Documentation Team, Architecture and Situated Technologies Conference co-produced by the Center for Virtual Architecture, Institute for Distributed Creativity and The Architectural League of New York, New York City, NY
2005 - President, Media Study GSA 2006 University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
1998 - Community Print 2005 founding member of cooperative community printmaking studio Olympia, WA
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