Frame — a re-enactment of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Twenty-two seconds of footage of the as- sassination, taken in Dallas in 1963 by Abra- ham Zapruda, was sold to Life magazine on the night of the shooting for $150,000. Life published stills from the film shortly after- wards. (Later, the Zapruda family would be paid $10 million by the US government for rights to the film). Stills were also re- produced in the Warren Commission Report of September 1964. The Warren Commis- sion also used the film as the basis for a se- ries of reconstructions that served as part of their investigation. The film itself was not broadcast until 1975. Perhaps more than any other, this moving image defined the turbu- lence of the 1960s for a wide American public during the 1970s. Don Delillo’s 1997 novel Underground cap- tures the sense of this moment in a fictional TIME account of one of the film’s first public, or semi-public, viewings in the summer of 1974. CAPTCHA’D The scene takes place in an apartment with television sets in every room. In each room a video of the same piece of footage plays, FOR GLOBAL with a slight delay. Delillo writes: “The event was rare and GOOD? strange. It was the screening of a bootleg copy of an eight-millimeter home movie that ran for twenty seconds. A little over twenty PALO ALTO — In 2002, Stanford Univer- seconds probably. The footage was known as sity launched a “community reading project” the Zapruda film and almost no one outside called Discovering Dickens, making Dickens’s the government had seen it. [ . . . ] novel Great Expectations available in its orig- “The footage started rolling in one room inal part-issue format and asking its alumni but not the others and it was filled with slurs and other members of the Stanford commu- Duchamp’s way into this other dimension was and jostles, it was totally jostled footage, a nity to read along, exactly as Victorians first by way of what he called the “infra-thin.” home movie shot with Super 8, and the limou- did, with the serial version that appeared This is the place of Poincar´e’s fourth dimen- sine came down the street, muddied by sun- from December 1860 to August 1861. In sion, G¨odel’s undecidability, Maharaj’s avid- glint, and the head dipped out of the frame 2004, as Discovering Dickens readers followed ya, art that isn’t, and a work of art that is and reappeared and then the force of the shot A Tale of Two Cities, Stanford joined the not “of Art.” that killed him, unexpectedly the head shot, newly-formed Google Print Library Project, Even Denis Diderot (the inventor of the and people in the room went ooh, and then along with the University of Michigan, Har- Encyclopedia), did not consider confusion to the next ooh, and five seconds later the room vard, Oxford, and the New York Public Li- be the enemy of knowledge. He saw — be- at the back went ooh, the same release of brary. A year later, the program would be- yond good/bad — confusion as the condition breath every time, like blurts of disbelief.” come know as the Google Books Partner Pro- that defines all of us. As a result, Diderot In this scene, Delillo combines multiple gram, or, more simply, Google Books. didn’t seek to abolish it, but imagined that screens plus the delay techniques of Dan Gra- At the launch of Google Books, Google’s least one assumption that cannot be proven “confusion could lead us to a new realism!” ham’s video pieces from that era (a technique intent was to scan and make available 15 mil- within its own system.” and identified positive and productive forms also used by Gillette & Schneider in their lion books within ten years. By 2008, just To re-state this theorem (outside the lan- of confusion. In Letter on the Blind (1749), highly influential Wipe Cycle). It merges the four years into the project, 7 million books guage of numbers) would be to claim that it Diderot embraced the confusion of the blind use of video as radical software — elements had already been scanned. When books are is fundamental to the nature of any explana- man, “for if understanding the world required can be patched and re-configured in ways scanned, words are automatically converted tion that it always contains an element that breaking down any subject to its original, el- that were not possible with film — together by Google’s Optical Character Recognition remains unexplained and not understood. emental components and then putting them with with an understanding that television software into searchable text. Occasionally Re-stated again — all explanations also back together again in an orderly fashion with- has been around long enough to be regarded there’s a problem with the conversion, and don’t explain. out skipping any steps, then the blind man as junk. All this is blended with the shock Google’s OCR software either can’t recognize In the world of science — that fortress of — with his superior powers of abstraction tactics of art-media groups from the early 70s some text or it isn’t confident about its con- logic, reason, and knowledge — not-knowing and speculation — can do it best.” such as Ant Farm, Radical Software, TVTV version, having checked the results against has inched its way into knowledge. Not to Returning to Duchamp: after his ready- (Top Value Television). TWO standard grammar rules. The only way to replace it, and also not to contradict it . . made urinal was rejected by the 1917 Armory If the 8mm footage was created in the age TWO convert these wayward words and phrases is . but instead to become acknowledged as a show, he co-published two issues of a small of the news reel, it is mediated in the age of to introduce human eyes into the system. necessary part of how knowledge works. The satirical magazine called The Blind Man, re- video, which operates under the economy of BLIND MEN This September, Google did just that with encyclopedic ambitions of the Enlightenment ferring to the short-sightedness of the crit- the feedback loop — to be re-recorded on to the purchase of reCAPTCHA. (the historical period leading up to Darwin) ical establishment and of the viewing pub- tape and repeated over and over again, to be DESCRIBE ReCAPTCHA was invented by Luis Von began losing ground, and Modernity set off lic with regards to modern art. The articles set in the eternal frame, to cycle within the DESCRIBE Ahn, who also invented the CAPTCHA, a with what John Keats called “negative ca- in the journal were left anonymous, fueling eternal return of “rolling news.” test that can tell if a user is a human or pability” — the ability to tolerate, and even more speculation. Ant Farm’s re-enactment of the Kennedy “BLOODY GOOD a computer. CAPTCHAs are effective at enjoy, the experience of confusion or doubt. This aphorism by Eric Dyckaerts perhaps assassination, The Eternal Frame, was made blocking spam, verifying accounts, and a va- best summarizes such playful acts of not- the year that Zapruda’s footage became “pub- ELEPHANT” riety of other online tasks. Von Ahn’s orig- THE BLIND MAN knowing: licly available.” Ant Farm’s copy of the film ELEPHANT” inal CAPTCHA presented a randomized set Marcel Duchamp was a devoted student of “If there’s a discrepancy between certainty came from conspiracy theory sources and was of letters warped in such a way that a com- Poincar´e’s Science&Hypothesis(1905), which and truth, the certainty of the discrepancy originally bootlegged out of the Life maga- PORT AUTHORITY — Yesterday’s Berlin- PORT AUTHORITY — Yesterday’s Berlin- puter could not read them, though humans noted that “the aim of science is not things sabotages its truth.” zine lab. based weblog imomus.livejournal.com ran a based weblog imomus.livejournal.com ran a easily could. A few years ago, Von Ahn be- themselves — as the dogmatists in their sim- Ant Farm originally wanted to film early piece about this paper headed “Newspaper piece about this paper headed “Newspaper gan thinking of the time people were wast- plicity imagine — but the relations between CHILD’S PLAY in the morning, to avoid the crowds, but it stalked and serenaded by a ghost of its true stalked and serenaded by a ghost of its true ing filling out CAPTCHAs. It bothered him. things; outside those relations there is no “The impulse to make a new language is a became evident to them that the light was self.” In an ensuing exchange with (Anony- self.” In an ensuing exchange with (Anony- About 200 million CAPTCHAs are solved knowable reality.” strong one,” Matt Mullican tells us, “kids not the same as the light on the Zapruda mous), iMomus concluded “we’re basically mous), iMomus concluded “we’re basically everyday. Each one takes about ten seconds Creating an equivalent notion in the lan- do this all the time.” The potential of non- footage and they needed it to be as close to two blind men describing an elephant here. two blind men describing an elephant here. of time to solve; collectively people spend guage of art, Duchamp formulated his fa- knowledge is often closely connected to the the “real thing” as possible. The only difference is that I think it’s prob- The only difference is that I think it’s prob- more than 150,000 hours a day solving the mous algebraic comparison: curiosity of children. Not only do children Via the Warren commission, the Zapruda ably a bloody good elephant.” ably a bloody good elephant.” tests. What if this time could be harnessed invent new languages all the time, but those footage was already caught in a media feed- A few days beforehand one of TF/LN ’s A few days beforehand one of TF/LN ’s for the global good? Von Ahn found a way: The ratio a / b languages form the basis for a pedagogical back loop, forming a catalyst that generated regular correspondents pitched the idea of an regular correspondents pitched the idea of an THEinstead FIRST/LAST of random letters, NEWSPAPER his new system, PORT AUTHORITY, 641a 8th= the Avenue, exhibition, New Yorkb = the City, possibilities NY 10036 method used in kindergartens around the D XTER SINISTER the noise of speculation, folding back to cre- interview with renowned sound engineer and 7 NOVEMBER 2009 E interview with renowned sound engineer and reCAPTCHA, presents users with two En- is in no way given by a number c world. Soon after the Second World War, ate a conspiracy panic. Because it was not polymath Walter Murch, making a case for polymath Walter Murch, making a case for glish words, one known and the other un- ( a / b = c ) but by the sign ( / ) Italian schoolteacher Loris Malaguzzi started visible as a moving image for eleven years his inclusion with reference to the following A Reconsideration of the Newspaper his inclusion with reference to the following known. The unknown words are pulled ran- which separates a & b. a child-care program near the Northern Ital- after the event, the footage became the ab- quotation: Industry in 5 Easy Illusions (1) quotation: domly from a pool of scanned words that ian city of Reggio Emilia. sent center of the Kennedy assassination — “At the basic level, a transition is simply How Media Masters Reality #2 “At the basic level, a transition is simply OCR cannot convert. Users solving the new Fifty years before conceptualism, Duchamp What is now known as the “Reggio Emilia How Media Masters Reality #2 22 seconds of action stretching into eternity. the process of changing from some state A the process of changing from some state A reCAPTCHAs require the same amount of disrupted the territory of art at its core, by Method” sees children as little researchers The re-enactment served as a response to another state, B. What we should exam- to another state, B. What we should exam- time as before — ten seconds — to recognize asking, “Can one make a work of art that is who strive to understand the world, making THEY CAME to the belief that the Zapruda footage could ine carefully is the degree of change, and our THEY CAME ine carefully is the degree of change, and our and type these two words. But now, every not of ‘art’?” Can there be an art that isn’t? their own theories to explain it. A teacher’s somehow reveal something that had been hid- awareness of it. Change is happening all the awareness of it. Change is happening all the test produces a human user’s confirmation How can one invent an entirely other way responsibility is to guide their natural cu- den and repressed. But maybe the footage is time, though we are not always conscious of TO SEE time, though we are not always conscious of and the digitization of an unknown word. of thinking and knowing? Can one imagine riosity rather than replace it with a knowl- TO SEE re-played and re-enacted so often precisely it. But without change there is no percep- it. But without change there is no percep- ReCAPTCHA digitizes 45 million words a a new epistemological map, equipped with edge that is foreign to them. Each child because it fails to represent. A failure of tion. This is somewhat of a paradox. If you tion. This is somewhat of a paradox. If you day, or about 4 million books a year. In ad- an additional dimension that reaches outside has a particular theory in a particular lan- WHO CAME representation is, in psychoanalytical terms, are staring constantly at a static object you WHO CAME are staring constantly at a static object you dition to the words reCAPTCHA digitizes and beyond the familiar north/south poles of guage, making a school into a place of a hun- the central characteristic of trauma, but the would think that nothing is changing, but it would think that nothing is changing, but it for Google Books, reCAPTCHA’s other sig- knowing and not-knowing? dred theories in a hundred languages. While TIVOLI, NY — You know the script: A pol- reenactment also fails to speak of something turns out your eyeballs are constantly mov- TIVOLI, NY — You know the script: A pol- turns out your eyeballs are constantly mov- nificant source of unknown words comes from The contemporary cultural theorist Sarat traditional pedagogy tends to favor one of itician and a military spokesperson mount at the centre of the technology of non-scripted ing, though the movements are so tiny you itician and a military spokesperson mount ing, though the movements are so tiny you the archive of the New York Times. Maharaj has named this other epistemologi- them and discourage the ninety-nine others, the stage, each takes their place behind a film: its promise to display evidence, its pro- are unaware of it. You might be stationary, the stage, each takes their place behind a are unaware of it. You might be stationary, The case of reCAPTCHA once again un- cal dimension in his discussion of “xeno-epi- the Reggio method recognizes the value of podium. They face the ladies and gentle- mise to carry the burden of proof. the object you are staring at might be sta- podium. They face the ladies and gentle- the object you are staring at might be sta- derscores the fact that text takes time. Even stemic” and proposal of “avidya”: keeping them all, allowing the child to insert men of the press and a bank of TV cameras. Four years after Ant Farm’s historic me- tionary, but your eyeballs are rapidly scan- men of the press and a bank of TV cameras. tionary, but your eyeballs are rapidly scan- the seemingly insignificant act of parroting “In the provocative spirit of ‘the work a beautifully-impossible cacophony into the A line of flags provides an appropriate back- dia interventions, Pope John Paul II staged ning the image in what are called microsac- A line of flags provides an appropriate back- ning the image in what are called microsac- back some random letters or words occupies of art that isn’t,’ why not adopt the term fabric of knowledge. drop as the politician begins to speak. The his own media event when he visited Poland. cades, at the rate of around sixty per second. drop as the politician begins to speak. The cades, at the rate of around sixty per second. us for a collective 150,000 hours everyday. AAs Reconsideration you stare at this of form, the Newspaper watch your Indus- ‘non-knowledge’ — despite pejorative con- This line of thought culminated in 1987 politician reminds us of the necessity of the The visit was described by writers Daniel It is this slight vibration — the eyeballs are politician reminds us of the necessity of the It is this slight vibration — the eyeballs are But while the typical production of text is tryperspective in 5 Easy flip Allusions back (1):and forth.as you stare at notations — for visual arts’ cognitive pro- with French philosopher Jacques Ranci´ere’s action they have taken. The politician re- Dayan and Elihu Katz as a shamanized me- moving about 1/180th of a degree — that is action they have taken. The politician re- moving about 1/180th of a degree — that is made by one or a few writers producing words this form, watch your perspective flip back cesses? Non-knowledge, at any rate, is not The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in minds us that we did not want war, in fact dia event, which through its staging actually keeping your perception alive, scrubbing the minds us that we did not want war, in fact keeping your perception alive, scrubbing the serially in sentences one after another, re- and forth. at all the same as ‘ignorance.’ It refers to Intellectual Emancipation. In it, he argued we did everything in our power to prevent steered a course of events (the rise of the Sol- image across a slightly different set of rods we did everything in our power to prevent image across a slightly different set of rods CAPTCHA has millions of users producing the knowledge system’s ‘other,’ that inde- how the traditional teacher-student relation- conflict, but if an aggressor willfully turns idarity movement and the eventual collapse and cones at the back of your eye. In a way conflict, but if an aggressor willfully turns and cones at the back of your eye. In a way text randomly, separating words from their terminate xeno-zone between ‘knowledge/ig- ship does nothing but reinforce inequality, aside all overtures for a peaceful resolution, of the Polish government). The event was it is kind of like the scanning electron gun aside all overtures for a peaceful resolution, it is kind of like the scanning electron gun proper context and syntax and presenting BLIND MAN norance.’ For this ‘infra-thin’ chink let’s use stultifying the learner. A non-emancipated and if the aggressor continues to threaten the a ceremony, but a ceremony of a particu- in a video monitor. Fascinating experiments BLIND MAN and if the aggressor continues to threaten the in a video monitor. Fascinating experiments them to us based on their ambiguous form the term Avidya. In sanskrit vidya means student “is the one who ignores that he does fundamental values of our society, then there lar sort. Like the incantation of Weapons of have been performed, neutralizing these mi- fundamental values of our society, then there have been performed, neutralizing these mi- and unlikely transliteration instead. Rather ‘knowledge’ as in the phrase ‘to see-know’: not know what he does not know and ignores is no choice. Mass Destruction, through its performance crosaccades, and the result is that the vision IN DARK ROOM is no choice. crosaccades, and the result is that the vision than invention, reCAPTCHA’s method is al- IN DARK ROOM the Latin cognate is video, to see, and its how to know it. The master is not only he The military spokesperson now points to it established the meaning of the event and of the subject quickly dims and then disap- The military spokesperson now points to of the subject quickly dims and then disap- gorithmic. And rather than originality, re- modern English cousin is ‘video.’ The pre- whowho exactly exactly knows knows what what remains remains unknown unknown a screen demonstrating the efficiency of the institutionalized it in collective memory. It pears entirely, even though his eyes are open a screen demonstrating the efficiency of the pears entirely, even though his eyes are open CAPTCHA’s word generating rationale boils LOOKING FOR fix ‘A’ signals the neutral gear, a semi-freeze: toto the the ignorance,” ignorance,” [but] [but] “he “he also also knows knows how how weaponry our forces have employed against is the moment of shamanistic feedback when and he is in a lighted room. At a very basic LOOKING FOR weaponry our forces have employed against and he is in a lighted room. At a very basic down to one thing: verification. the idea is that ‘systematic knowledge’ is neu- toto make make it it knowable, knowable, at at what what time time and and what what the aggressor. It also displays evidence of the a new definition of what is possible is estab- perceptual level, then, there has to be some the aggressor. It also displays evidence of the perceptual level, then, there has to be some Verification is also central to the snarl of tralized in ‘Avidya’ but not entirely annulled. place,place, according according to to what what protocol.” protocol.” military capacity of the aggressor. It seems if lished, and it is then that the next step is kind of a transition, a change, for us to per- BLACK CAT military capacity of the aggressor. It seems if kind of a transition, a change, for us to per- issues surrounding the legality of the Google BLACK CAT Vidya/Avidya are not quite binaries.” AA student student is is held held captive captive by by his his or or her her they were given the opportunity they could urged forward. The media event can be seen ceive the world at all.” they were given the opportunity they could ceive the world at all.” Books project more generally. Many works As Duchamp explored and Maharaj rec- reliancereliance on on explanations, explanations, “But “But the the child child who who inflict terrible harm on our forces, and to the as a form of consecration because it gathers This statement describes both the point inflict terrible harm on our forces, and to the This statement describes both the point it has scanned, like Dickens’s writings, were THAT’S NOT ognizes, art can operate outside the linear isis explained explained to to will will devote devote his his intelligence intelligence to to way of life many have died to preserve. into itself a series of values that feed back and point-of-view of TF/LN with such alarm- THAT’S NOT way of life many have died to preserve. and point-of-view of TF/LN with such alarm- already free of copyright and in the public do- or binary axis of ignorance/knowledge and thethe work work of of grieving: grieving: to to understanding, understanding, that that But the press briefing is more than just a to form a narrative of a state of affairs that ing economy, that we urged our correspon- But the press briefing is more than just a ing economy, that we urged our correspon- main long before the project started. (Mark leastintroduce one assumption another epistemological that cannot dimension be proven isis to to say, say, to to understanding understanding that that he he doesn’t doesn’t script; you also need the stage, the podium, requires action. The ceremony of the count- dent to follow the lead. As it turned out, she THERE script; you also need the stage, the podium, dent to follow the lead. As it turned out, she Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, THERE within— nonknowledge, its own system.” “avidya,” or productive understandunderstand unless unless he he is is explained explained to.” to.” the uniforms, the flags, the press, and the down (which is itself a media invention, in- wasn’t scheduled to meet Murch, only invited the uniforms, the flags, the press, and the wasn’t scheduled to meet Murch, only invited which entered the public domain in 1942, confusionTo re-state — that this itself theorem represents (outside a the power- lan- Ranci´ereRanci´ere insists insists on on the the equality equality of of all all in- in- cameras if you want to master reality. troduced in Fritz Lang’s Frau im Mond, in to a dinner that he would also attend. cameras if you want to master reality. to a dinner that he would also attend. was first published in 1884. Dickens died in HELLAS — Our story begins in Ancient guageful form of numbers) of knowledge, would a be way to claim of knowing. that it telligencestelligences and and considers considers the the central central goal goal of of Simply through their performance, cer- 1929) begins the narrative that ends with “If I could ask Murch only one question,” HELLAS — Our story begins in Ancient Simply through their performance, cer- “If I could ask Murch only one question,” 1870.) However, many of the works Google Greece, with Socrates announcing, “I know is fundamental to the nature of any explana- educationeducation to to be be the the revelation revelation of of an an intel- intel- tain media events can have an effect in the the moon landing. This event — staged for she wondered, “what would that be — ?” Greece, with Socrates announcing, “I know tain media events can have an effect in the she wondered, “what would that be — ?” Books has scanned are still under copyright, that I know nothing.” Clearly, confusion has tion that it always contains an element that ligenceligence to to itself, itself, and and not not the the gift gift of of a a pre- pre- world. In 2003, a military man mounted television from countdown to touchdown — “One designed to extract an exact replica that I know nothing.” Clearly, confusion has world. In 2003, a military man mounted “One designed to extract an exact replica and Google has scanned them anyway in an always been at the heart of wisdom. Cen- remains unexplained and not understood. ordainedordained “knowledge.” “knowledge.” In In his his book, book, he he dis- dis- the stage and provided evidence of Weapons inscribes a series of values through its perfor- of that quotation,” we replied. always been at the heart of wisdom. Cen- the stage and provided evidence of Weapons of that quotation,” we replied. attempt to make them more accessible — turies later comes a statement many have at- Re-stated again — all explanations also cussescusses the the emancipatory emancipatory potential potential in in teachers teachers of Mass Destruction. What surprised many mance. It speaks of an era of positivist tri- The after-dinner conversation reportedly turies later comes a statement many have at- of Mass Destruction. What surprised many The after-dinner conversation reportedly like a “card catalog,” according to Google tributed to Charles Darwin: “A mathemati- don’t explain. remainingremaining ignorant ignorant of of what what they they teach, teach, and and about this performance was the comparative umph, when American know-how knew how, lasted four hours. (DS) tributed to Charles Darwin: “A mathemati- about this performance was the comparative cian is like a blind man in a dark room look- In the world of science — that fortress of toto act act instead instead as as enforcers enforcers and and verifiers verifiers of of the the ease with which it was exercised and the po- it represented the end of an era in which the lasted four hours. (DS) — however, authors’ and publishers’ rights cian is like a blind man in a dark room look- ease with which it was exercised and the po- ing for a black cat that isn’t there.” As a sci- logic, reason, and knowledge — not-knowing student’sstudent’s own own will-to-learn. will-to-learn. It It is is the the experi- experi- tency of its result — a war could be prose- vision of a murdered president was finally re- groups have objected to this and sued Google ing for a black cat that isn’t there.” As a sci- tency of its result — a war could be prose- entist committed to cataloguing, explaining, has inched its way into knowledge. Not to enceence of of learning learning — — the the doing doing — — that that matters, matters, cuted despite any real “evidence” produced alized. It joins a string of images that are to stop them from scanning works under ac- entist committed to cataloguing, explaining, cuted despite any real “evidence” produced TIME and drawing a clear picture of nature, Dar- replace it, and also not to contradict it . . notnot the the knowing knowing of of teaching. teaching. Moreover, Moreover, “the “the to suggest that such weapons did exist. It pre-scripted, including the 22 seconds of the TIME tive copyright. For another large segment and drawing a clear picture of nature, Dar- to suggest that such weapons did exist. It win mockedBLIND the mathematician’s MAN inability to . but instead to become acknowledged as a studentstudent of of the the ignorant ignorant master master learns learns what what was as if the whole machinery of the press Zepruda footage and the televised funeral of of the books Google has scanned, the copy- win mocked the mathematician’s inability to was as if the whole machinery of the press describe the physical world in anything but necessary part of how knowledge works. The hishis master master does does not not know, know, since since he he does does not not briefing was a feedback loop, which justified Kennedy, which folds back into its self to CAPTCHA’D right status is simply unknown. So-called describe the physical world in anything but briefing was a feedback loop, which justified CAPTCHA’D abstract and speculative terms. Artists also encyclopedic ambitions of the Enlightenment learnlearn his his master’s master’s knowledge.” knowledge.” military action but also legitimized the press make a narrative of reality. “orphan” works, under copyright but now abstractIN DARK and speculative terms. ROOM Artists also military action but also legitimized the press understand the world in these terms. With (the historical period leading up to Darwin) briefing itself. This is mastering reality. out-of-print, are those works for which, af- understand the world in these terms. With briefing itself. This is mastering reality. FOR GLOBAL their help, we can learn to enjoy the expe- began losing ground, and Modernity set off CHANGECHANGE WE WE CAN CAN BELIEVE BELIEVE IN IN For those of us raised with the notion Media Burn was performed on July 4, 1975, FOR GLOBAL ter a “reasonable effort” has been made to their help, we can learn to enjoy the expe- For those of us raised with the notion rienceLOOKING of not-knowing and the FOR playfulness of with what John Keats called “negative ca- InwhoIn one one exactly of of his his knows metalogues metalogues what with remainswith an an imaginary imaginaryunknown that the press and TV news exist to some- a few months prior to The Eternal Frame. locate a current copyright holder, no such rience of not-knowing and the playfulness of that the press and TV news exist to some- being in the dark. pability” — the ability to tolerate, and even child,tochild, the Gregory ignorance,” Gregory Bateson Bateson [but] wrote “he wrote also that that knows “in “in order order how how “get to the bottom” of things, and that A modified 1959 Cadillac El Dorado Biarritz GOOD? person can be found. On one hand, Google being in the dark. how “get to the bottom” of things, and that GOOD? enjoy, the experience of confusion or doubt. toto make think think it new new knowable, thoughts thoughts at or what or to to say time say new new and things things what the news media is a forum in which things (The Phantom Dream Car), piloted by two must attempt to verify whether or not a cur- BLACK CAT Johann Sebastian Bach . . . the news media is a forum in which things EXPLANATIONS DON’T EXPLAIN weplace,we have have according to to break break to up up what all all our our protocol.” ready-made ready-made ideas ideas can be proven or disproved, the ease with drivers guided only by a video monitor, was rent copyright holder exists. On the other, it EXPLANATIONS DON’T EXPLAIN can be proven or disproved, the ease with PALO ALTO — In 2002, Stanford Univer- In 1831, Charles Darwin set sail and traveled THE BLIND MAN andandA shu shu studentfflfflee the the is pieces.” pieces.” held captive by his or her which transparent nonsense became a matter driven through a pyramid of blazing televi- PALO ALTO — In 2002, Stanford Univer- must verify to the court that it has been ex- In 1831, Charles Darwin set sail and traveled which transparent nonsense became a matter sity launched a “community reading project” to theTHAT’S Cape Verde Islands, NOT the Falkland Is- Marcel Duchamp was a devoted student of relianceInIn his his on foreword foreword explanations, to to the the “But well-titled well-titled the child exhibi- exhibi- who of fact that could justify fatal action came as sion sets. As in The Eternal Frame, Media sity launched a “community reading project” haustive in conducting its search in order to to the Cape Verde Islands, the Falkland Is- of fact that could justify fatal action came as called Discovering Dickens, making Dickens’s lands, the South American Coast, the Gala- Poincar´e’s Science&Hypothesis(1905), which tionistion explainedThingsThings to We We will Don’t Don’t devote Understand Understand his intelligence,, curated curated to a shock. Burn featured the Artist-President, John F. called Discovering Dickens, making Dickens’s make the book available to users of Google lands, the South American Coast, the Gala- a shock. novel Great Expectations available in its orig- pagos Islands, and Australia. The notes he noted that “the aim of science is not things bytheby Roger workRoger ofM. M. grieving: Buergel Buergel and to and understanding, Ruth Ruth Noack, Noack, Died- Died- that Whatever this thing we call “the news Kennedy, played by Doug Hall. He gives a novel Great Expectations available in its orig- Books. And this two-part effort has led to pagos Islands,THERE and Australia. The notes he Whatever this thing we call “the news inal part-issue format and asking its alumni New York Times took in his journal led to our general under- themselves — as the dogmatists in their sim- richisrich to Kramer Kramer say, to notes understanding notes that that “It “It is is that not not always alwayshe doesn’t easy easy media” is, it is not in its nature to simply test content-less speech that sets the stage for the inal part-issue format and asking its alumni what the described earlier took in his journal led to our general under- media” is, it is not in its nature to simply test and other members of the Stanford commu- standing that life-forms develop in the con- plicity imagine — but the relations between tounderstandto be be confronted confronted unless with with he is situations situations explained that that to.” invali- invali- matters of fact. The WMD incident demon- main event. Indeed, the speech highlights and other members of the Stanford commu- this year as “A Google Search of a Distinctly standing that life-forms develop in the con- matters of fact. The WMD incident demon- nity to read along, exactly as Victorians first HELLAStext of how — they Our adapt story to begins various in environ- Ancient things; outside those relations there is no datedateRanci´ere entrenched entrenched insists patterns patterns on the of equality of understanding. understanding. of all in- strated that the apparatus of the media ac- the degree to which a media event needs to nity to read along, exactly as Victorians first Retro Kind.” The article continues, text of how they adapt to various environ- strated that the apparatus of the media ac- did, with the serial version that appeared Greece,ments in with their Socrates efforts to announcing, survive, and “Inot knowin knowable reality.” ThetelligencesThe value value and of of this this considers confrontation confrontation the central is is directly goaldirectly of tually has the ability to produce facts. The be ritualized. The speech is one of the sup- did, with the serial version that appeared “Since the copyright holders can be any- ments in their efforts to survive, and not in tually has the ability to produce facts. The from December 1860 to August 1861. In isolation.that I know While nothing.” mathematicians Clearly, confusion were in their has Creating an equivalent notion in the lan- proportionaleducationproportional to to beto our our the ability ability revelation to to convert convert of an the the intel- cri- cri- press briefing demonstrates two fundamen- port structures that need to be put into place from December 1860 to August 1861. In where and not necessarily online — given isolation. While mathematicians were in their press briefing demonstrates two fundamen- 2004, as Discovering Dickens readers followed darkalways rooms been looking at the heart for abstract of wisdom. black Cen- cats guage of art, Duchamp formulated his fa- sisligencesis of of insecurity insecurity to itself, into and into the not the fertile the fertile gift potential potential of a pre- of of tal things about the structure of contempo- in order to constitute a “real” pseudo-event. 2004, as Discovering Dickens readers followed how many books are old or out of print — dark rooms looking for abstract black cats tal things about the structure of contempo- A Tale of Two Cities, Stanford joined the thatturies weren’t later comes there, a Darwin statement wrote many a theory have at- of mous algebraic comparison: change.”ordainedchange.” “knowledge.” In his book, he dis- rary media: 1) It’s a feedback loop that gives The President speaks: A Tale of Two Cities, Stanford joined the it became obvious that what was needed was that weren’t there, Darwin wrote a theory of rary media: 1) It’s a feedback loop that gives newly-formed Google Print Library Project, evolutiontributed to that Charles explained Darwin: life on “A earth. mathemati- cussesWithWith the that emancipatorythat in in mind, mind, letpotential let us us recognize recognize in teachers the the legitimacy and conveys narrative to its pro- “Who can deny that we are a nation ad- newly-formed Google Print Library Project, a huge push in that relic of the pre-Internet evolution that explained life on earth. legitimacy and conveys narrative to its pro- along with the University of Michigan, Har- cianTowards is like a the blind end man of in the a dark nineteenth room look- cen- The ratio a / b importanceremainingimportance ignorant of of not not understanding of understanding what they teach, a a work work and of of ducers, 2) The incantation that “produced” dicted to television and the constant flow of along with the University of Michigan, Har- age: print. Towards the end of the nineteenth cen- ducers, 2) The incantation that “produced” vard, Oxford, and the New York Public Li- tury,ing for however, a blackthe catspeculations that isn’t there.” of mathemati- As a sci- a = the exhibition, b = the possibilities art.toart. act A Ainstead work workof as of enforcersart art opens opens and up up verifiers that that world world of the of of WMD reminds us of French philosopher Mi- media, and not a few of us are frustrated vard, Oxford, and the New York Public Li- “So while there is a large direct-mail ef- tury, however, the speculations of mathemati- WMD reminds us of French philosopher Mi- brary. A year later, the program would be- ciansentist began committed hinting to at cataloguing, a far more complex explaining, ex- is in no way given by a number c non-knowledgestudent’snon-knowledge own will-to-learn. and and helps helps to to It make makeis the sure sureexperi- we we chel Foucault’s most valuable lesson — dis- by this addiction. Now I ask you, my fellow brary. A year later, the program would be- fort, a dedicated Web site about the settle- cians began hinting at a far more complex ex- chel Foucault’s most valuable lesson — dis- come know as the Google Books Partner Pro- planationand drawing of nature. a clear picture Non-Euclidean of nature, geome- Dar- ( a / b = c ) but by the sign ( / ) don’tencedon’t of lose lose learning sight sight —of of it,the it, keeping doingkeeping — us us that curious curious matters, and and course produces its object. Americans, haven’t you ever wanted to put come know as the Google Books Partner Pro- ment in 36 languages, and an online strategy planation of nature. Non-Euclidean geome- course produces its object. gram, or, more simply, Google Books. trywin allowed mocked mathematics the mathematician’s to take into inability account to which separates a & b. activelynotactively the knowing speculating. speculating. of teaching. “Artists “Artists Moreover,don’t don’t solve solve “the pro- pro- Today I’d like to travel back to the be- your foot through your television screen?” gram, or, more simply, Google Books. of the kind you would expect from Google, try allowed mathematics to take into account Today I’d like to travel back to the be- At the launch of Google Books, Google’s thedescribe reality the of physical curved space, world andin anything the work but of blems,studentblems, they theyof the invent invent ignorant new new ones,”master ones,” (Bruce learns(Bruce whatNau- Nau- ginning of the video revolution and reflect on The artist-president is the rhetorical shell At the launch of Google Books, Google’s the bulk of the legal notice spending — about the reality of curved space, and the work of ginning of the video revolution and reflect on intent was to scan and make available 15 mil- mathematicianabstract and speculative Henri Poincar´elay terms. Artists the foun- also Fifty years before conceptualism, Duchamp man),hisman), master “Art “Art does isn’t isn’t not here here know, to to explain explain since things,” things,”he does (Jo- not (Jo- two media events produced by Ant Farm in of politics itself, his speech collapses past, fu- intent was to scan and make available 15 mil- $7 million of a total of $8 million — is going mathematician Henri Poincar´elay the foun- two media events produced by Ant Farm in lion books within ten years. By 2008, just dationunderstand for chaos the world theory. in these Most terms. remarkably, With disrupted the territory of art at its core, by sephlearnseph Beuys), his Beuys), master’s “The “The knowledge.” artist artist has has an an unknowa- unknowa- 1975: Media Burn — in which a customized ture and present as the ghost of politics past lion books within ten years. By 2008, just to newspapers, magazines, even poetry jour- dation for chaos theory. Most remarkably, 1975: Media Burn — in which a customized four years into the project, 7 million books hetheir suggested help, we that can “The learn life to enjoy of mathematics the expe- asking, “Can one make a work of art that is bility:bility: the the ability ability to to unknow,” unknow,” (Sarat (Sarat Ma- Ma- Cadillac was driven through a pyramid of reports on the significance of what is about four years into the project, 7 million books nals, with at least one ad in each country. he suggested that “The life of mathematics Cadillac was driven through a pyramid of had already been scanned. When books are notrience logic of not-knowingexists in intuition and, the not playfulness logic” punc- of not of ‘art’?” Can there be an art that isn’t? haraj);haraj);CHANGE Robert Robert WE Rauschenberg Rauschenberg CAN BELIEVE said said IN“I “I could could blazing television sets — and The Eternal to happen. had already been scanned. When books are These efforts make this among the largest not logic exists in intuition, not logic” punc- blazing television sets — and The Eternal scanned, words are automatically converted print legal-notice campaigns in history. turingbeingturing in science’s science’s the dark.John long-standing long-standing Milton . . .obsession obsession with with How can one inventHomer an . . entirely . other way notInnot one live live of without without hisJorge metalogues confusion”;Luis confusion”; Borges with and .and an . .BrunoBruno imaginary Mu- Mu- Frame — a re-enactment of the assassination “Today, there stand before us two media facts truth by Google’s Optical Character Recognition “That Google is in the position of paying facts and truth.. of thinking and knowing? Can one imagine narichild,nari is is Gregory even even more more Bateson to to the the point:wrote point: that “Il “Il piu piu “in grande grande order of John F. Kennedy. matadors, brave young men from Ant Farm software into searchable text. Occasionally for so many print ads ‘is hilarious — it is the Poincar´eusheredEXPLANATIONS in DON’T a century EXPLAIN of math- a new epistemological map, equipped with ostacolotoostacolo think alla new alla comprensione comprensione thoughts or to di di un’operasay un’opera new things d’arte d’arte Twenty-two seconds of footage of the as- who are about to go forth into the unknown, voler there’s a problem with the conversion, and ultimate irony,’ said Robert Klonoff, dean of ematicalIn 1831, Charles revelations: Darwin Max set sail Planck and traveled outlines an additional dimension that reaches outside ewee quello quello have todi di breakvoler capire.” upcapire.” all our (AH) (AH) ready-made ideas sassination, taken in Dallas in 1963 by Abra- and let me say this, these artists are pioneers, Google’s OCR software either can’t recognize Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Ore.” quantumto the Cape mechanics Verde Islands, in 1900, the Albert Falkland Einstein Is- and beyond the familiar north/south poles of and shuffle the pieces.” ham Zapruda, was sold to Life magazine on as surly as Louis and Clark when they ex- some text or it isn’t confident about its con- Klonoff’s comment is apt. In its attempt presentslands, the Special South Relativity American in Coast, 1905, the followed Gala- knowing and not-knowing? In his foreword to the well-titled exhibi- the night of the shooting for $150,000. Life plored uncharted territory, they are pioneers Things We Don’t Understand version, having checked the results against to digitize all the world’s books, Google has bypagos his Islands, General and Relativity Australia. in 1916, The notes Werner he The contemporary cultural theorist Sarat tion , curated published stills from the film shortly after- as surly as Armstrong and Aldrin when they standard grammar rules. The only way to not only been forced to search for what it Heisenberg’stook in his journal uncertainty led to our principle general in under- 1927, Maharaj has named this other epistemologi- by Roger M. Buergel and Ruth Noack, Died- wards. (Later, the Zapruda family would set foot on the moon . . . ” convert these wayward words and phrases is cannot find, but the company, which made andstanding Kurt that G¨odel’s life-forms incompleteness develop in theorem the con- in cal dimension in his discussion of “xeno-epi- rich Kramer notes that “It is not always easy be paid $10 million by the US government Ant Farm’s Chip Lord, speaking on the Media Burn to introduce human eyes into the system. its billions by serving relevant advertisements 1931.text of how they adapt to various environ- stemic” and proposal of “avidya”: to be confronted with situations that invali- for rights to the film). Stills were also re- subject of in 2002, cited Michael not Guerrilla Televi- This September, Google did just that with to users of its search engine, must now spend mentsWorking in their alongside efforts toEinstein survive, at and Princeton,in “In the provocative spirit of ‘the work date entrenched patterns of understanding. produced in the Warren Commission Report Shamberg’s seminal book sion the purchase of reCAPTCHA. millions placing similar ads in tiny publica- G¨odelisolation. inherited While mathematicians a discipline that were began in their to of art that isn’t,’ why not adopt the term The value of this confrontation is directly of September 1964. The Warren Commis- (1971) which inspired various initiatives not ReCAPTCHA was invented by Luis Von tions that its Google Books service (and the realizedarkrealize rooms that that thelooking the human human for mind mindabstract is is not blacka logic cats ‘non-knowledge’ — despite pejorative con- proportional to our ability to convert the cri- sion also used the film as the basis for a se- combining the collectivist ideals of the 1960s Ahn, who also invented the CAPTCHA, a scanning of books more generally) may ulti- engine,that weren’t but an there, analogy Darwin engine, wrote a learning a theory en- of notations — for visual arts’ cognitive pro- sis of insecurity into the fertile potential of ries of reconstructions that served as part of with the potentially democratizing (new) tech- test that can tell if a user is a human or mately render obsolete. gine,evolution a guessing that explained engine, an life aesthetics-driven on earth. cesses? Non-knowledge, at any rate, is not change.” their investigation. The film itself was not nologies of video, closed-circuit TV, and ca- a computer. CAPTCHAs are effective at For the readers of Discovering Dickens, engine,Towards andthea self-correcting end of the nineteenth engine. In cen- his at all the same as ‘ignorance.’ It refers to With that in mind, let us recognize the broadcast until 1975. Perhaps more than any ble of the 1970s: “[Using TV to destroy TV] Guerrilla Television blocking spam, verifying accounts, and a va- Google’s hundreds of little text advertisments speculativetury,speculative however, mathematics, mathematics, the speculations G¨odel G¨odel of arrived arrived mathemati- at at a a the knowledge system’s ‘other,’ that inde- importance of not understanding a work of other, this moving image defined the turbu- was consistent with the riety of other online tasks. Von Ahn’s orig- may seem reminiscent of the ads scattered proofcians began revealing hinting that at “all a far axiomatic more complex theories ex- terminate xeno-zone between ‘knowledge/ig- art. A work of art opens up that world of lence of the 1960s for a wide American public position, to destroy the monopoly of central- inal CAPTCHA presented a randomized set throughout the original part-issues of Dick- (top-downplanation(top-down of ‘explanations’) ‘explanations’) nature. Non-Euclidean are are necessarily necessarily geome- in- in- norance.’ For this ‘infra-thin’ chink let’s use non-knowledge and helps to make sure we during the 1970s. ized television. There was a lot of rhetoric of letters warped in such a way that a com- ens’s serial works, each of which included completetry allowed and mathematics that ‘truth’ to will take always into account have a the term Avidya. In sanskrit vidya means don’t lose sight of it, keeping us curious and Don Delillo’s 1997 novel Underground cap- about how cable TV was going to democra- puter could not read them, though humans 16 pages of advertising flanking 32 pages of holethe reality in it. In of other curved words, space, all and mathematics the work — of ‘knowledge’ as in the phrase ‘to see-know’: actively speculating. “Artists don’t solve pro- tures the sense of this moment in a fictional tize production.” easily could. A few years ago, Von Ahn be- original text. The benefits of the “Invisi- evenmathematician simple arithmetic Henri Poincar´elay — always relies the onfoun- at the Latin cognate is video, to see, and its blems, they invent new ones,” (Bruce Nau- account of one of the film’s first public, or Ant Farm’s media critique can be under- gan thinking of the time people were wast- ble Spine Supporter” and “Dr. Lecock’s Fe- dation for chaos theory. Most remarkably, modern English cousin is ‘video.’ The pre- man), “Art isn’t here to explain things,” (Jo- semi-public, viewings in the summer of 1974. stood as a critical response to the promise ing filling out CAPTCHAs. It bothered him. male Wafers” were proclaimed alongside en- he suggested that “The life of mathematics fix ‘A’ signals the neutral gear, a semi-freeze: seph Beuys), “The artist has an unknowa- The scene takes place in an apartment with of video, and perhaps more than any other intuition About 200 million CAPTCHAs are solved treaties urging buyers to purchase “Alpaca not logic exists in , not logic” punc- the. idea . . and is that James ‘systematic Joyce all knowledge’ became blind is neu- bility: the ability to unknow,” (Sarat Ma- television sets in every room. In each room artists they articulated its contradictions. Re- everyday. Each one takes about ten seconds Umbrellas” and “Children’s Frock Coats and turing science’s long-standing obsession with tralized in ‘Avidya’in later but not life. entirely annulled. haraj); Robert Rauschenberg said “I could a video of the same piece of footage plays, leased from the monopoly of the networks Bleak facts truth of time to solve; collectively people spend Pelisses.” It was a bazaar inside of and . Vidya/Avidya are not quite binaries.” not live without confusion”; and Bruno Mu- with a slight delay. and accessed by ordinary citizens, the Porta- House Martin Chuz- more than 150,000 hours a day solving the , a marketplace within Poincar´eushered in a century of math- As Duchamp explored and Maharaj rec- nari is even more to the point: “Il piu grande Delillo writes: “The event was rare and pak video camera promised personal and so- zlewit tests. What if this time could be harnessed . For Dickens’s publishers, his text pro- ematical revelations: Max Planck outlines ognizes, art can operate outside the linear ostacolo alla comprensione di un’opera d’arte strange. It was the screening of a bootleg cial empowerment — make your own social voler for the global good? Von Ahn found a way: vided a perfect vehicle for additional adver- quantum mechanics in 1900, Albert Einstein or binary axis of ignorance/knowledge and e quello di capire.” (AH) copy of an eight-millimeter home movie that and technological networks, make and dis- instead of random letters, his new system, tising revenue. But, with the aid of the re- presents Special Relativity in 1905, followed introduce another epistemological dimension ran for twenty seconds. A little over twenty tribute your own programs, construct your reCAPTCHA, presents users with two En- cently developed idea of copyright, Dickens’s by his General Relativity in 1916, Werner — nonknowledge, “avidya,” or productive seconds probably. The footage was known as own social software, democratize artistic prac- glish words, one known and the other un- text would soon become a commodity of its Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle in 1927, confusion — that itself represents a power- the Zapruda film and almost no one outside tice. But, as we will see in subsequent is- How Media Masters Reality known. The unknown words are pulled ran- very own. (RG) and Kurt G¨odel’s incompleteness theorem in ful form of knowledge, a way of knowing. the government had seen it. [ . . . ] sues of , the val- Duchamp’s way into this other dimension was domly from a pool of scanned words that 1931. Duchamp’s way into this other dimension was “The footage started rolling in one room ues of self-empowerment could easily be ac- by way of what he called the “infra-thin.” OCR cannot convert. Users solving the new Working alongside Einstein at Princeton, by way of what he called the “infra-thin.” but not the others and it was filled with slurs commodated within a media feedback system This is the place of Poincar´e’s fourth dimen- reCAPTCHAs require the same amount of G¨odel inherited a discipline that began to This is the place of Poincar´e’s fourth dimen- and jostles, it was totally jostled footage, a in which our performance becomes not only not sion, G¨odel’s undecidability, Maharaj’s avid- time as before — ten seconds — to recognize realize that the human mind is a logic sion, G¨odel’s undecidability, Maharaj’s avid- home movie shot with Super 8, and the limou- a commodity that we sell to ourselves but ya, art that isn’t, and a work of art that is and type these two words. But now, every engine, but an analogy engine, a learning en- ya, art that isn’t, and a work of art that is sine came down the street, muddied by sun- also a means by which the media could nar- not “of Art.” test produces a human user’s confirmation gine, a guessing engine, an aesthetics-driven not “of Art.” glint, and the head dipped out of the frame rativize and legitimize itself. Even Denis Diderot (the inventor of the and the digitization of an unknown word. engine, and a self-correcting engine. In his Even Denis Diderot (the inventor of the and reappeared and then the force of the shot In 1962, Daniel Boorstin coined the term Encyclopedia), did not consider confusion to ReCAPTCHA digitizes 45 million words a speculative mathematics, G¨odel arrived at a Encyclopedia), did not consider confusion to that killed him, unexpectedly the head shot, “pseudo-event” to describe events designed be the enemy of knowledge. He saw — be- day, or about 4 million books a year. In ad- proof revealing that “all axiomatic theories be the enemy of knowledge. He saw — be- and people in the room went ooh, and then solely to be reported: presidential debates, yond good/bad — confusion as the condition dition to the words reCAPTCHA digitizes (top-down ‘explanations’) are necessarily in- yond good/bad — confusion as the condition the next ooh, and five seconds later the room press conferences (and media burns). But that defines all of us. As a result, Diderot for Google Books, reCAPTCHA’s other sig- complete and that ‘truth’ will always have a that defines all of us. As a result, Diderot at the back went ooh, the same release of Andy Warhol understood better than any- didn’t seek to abolish it, but imagined that nificant source of unknown words comes from hole in it. In other words, all mathematics — didn’t seek to abolish it, but imagined that breath every time, like blurts of disbelief.” one else that the media event isn’t something even simple arithmetic — always relies on at “confusion“confusion could lead could us to lead a new us realism!” to a new realism!” In this scene, Delillo combines multiple you simply consume. Describing the unfold- least oneleast assumption one assumption that cannot that be cannot proven be provenand identifiedand positiveidentified and positive productive and productive forms forms screens plus the delay techniques of Dan Gra- ing hallucination of the factory, Warhol said, within itswithin own system.” its own system.” of confusion.of confusion. In Letter on In theLetter Blind on the(1749), Blind (1749), ham’s video pieces from that era (a technique “They came to see who came.” The people To re-stateTo this re-state theorem this theorem (outside (outsidethe lan- the lan-Diderot embracedDiderot embracedthe confusion the ofconfusion the blind of the blind also used by Gillette & Schneider in their who come to see the party become the party, guage ofguage numbers) of numbers) would be would to claim be to that claim it that itman, “for ifman, understanding “for if understanding the world required the world required highly influential Wipe Cycle). It merges the the figure and ground become a single flow- is fundamentalis fundamental to the nature to the of nature any explana- of any explana-breaking downbreaking any subjectdown any to subject its original, to its el- original, el- use of video as radical software — elements ing image. In the same way, the figure and tion thattion it always that it contains always contains an element an thatelement thatemental componentsemental components and then putting and then them putting them can be patched and re-configured in ways ground of the press shifts backwards and for- remainsremains unexplained unexplained and not andunderstood. not understood. back togetherback again together in an again orderly in an fashion orderly with- fashion with- that were not possible with film — together wards from the press as they arrive to report Re-statedRe-stated again — again all explanations — all explanationsalso alsoout skippingout any skipping steps, any then steps, the blind then manthe blind manHe stood up from the bench and walked back with with an understanding that television the event and to the press as their bodies don’t explain.don’t explain. — with his— superior with his powers superior of powers abstraction of abstractioninto the inner space, towards the kitchen, has been around long enough to be regarded provide the props for the event. In the next In the worldIn the of world science of — science that fortress — that of fortress ofand speculationand speculation — can do —it best.” can do it best.” raising his voice asking does anyone want as junk. All this is blended with the shock installment of this series we will look at why logic, reason,logic, and reason, knowledge and knowledge — not-knowing — not-knowing ReturningReturning to Duchamp: to Duchamp: after his ready- after his ready-some soup. Pumpkin. It was clear that he’d tactics of art-media groups from the early 70s we, as performers in the media feedback loop, has inchedhas its inched way intoits way knowledge. into knowledge. Not to Not tomade urinalmade was urinal rejected was by rejected the 1917 by Armory the 1917 Armoryalready prepared this courtesy, calling out such as Ant Farm, Radical Software, TVTV are losing the script and picking up the for- replace it,replace and also it, and not also to contradict not to contradict it . . it .show, . he co-publishedshow, he co-published two issues two of a issues small of a smallmore for the sake of speaking his own mind (Top Value Television). mat. (SR) . but instead. but to instead become to acknowledged become acknowledged as a assatirical a magazinesatirical called magazineThe called BlindThe Man Blind, re- Man, re-for his stomach, and provoking us into think- If the 8mm footage was created in the age necessarynecessary part of how part knowledge of how knowledge works. The works. Theferring toferring the short-sightedness to the short-sightedness of the crit- of the crit-ing about food and considering our own hung- of the news reel, it is mediated in the age of encyclopedicencyclopedic ambitions ambitions of the Enlightenment of the Enlightenmentical establishmentical establishment and of the and viewing of the pub- viewing pub-er. He lit the fire under the pan and lifted the video, which operates under the economy of (the historical(the historical period leading period up leading to Darwin) up to Darwin)lic with regardslic with to regards modern to art. modern The articles art. The articleslid. The sound of his words carried on and the feedback loop — to be re-recorded on to began losingbegan ground, losing ground,and Modernity and Modernity set off set offin the journalin the were journal left anonymous, were left anonymous, fueling fuelingout to us, as he mashed the pumpkins, above tape and repeated over and over again, to be with whatwith John what Keats John called Keats “negative called “negative ca- ca-more speculation.more speculation. the pans and cutlery. He turned around to set in the eternal frame, to cycle within the pability”pability” — the ability — the to ability tolerate, to tolerate, and even and even This aphorismThis by aphorism Eric Dyckaerts by Eric Dyckaerts perhaps perhapsopen a cupboard door and take four deep, eternal return of “rolling news.” enjoy, theenjoy, experience the experience of confusion of confusion or doubt. or doubt.best summarizesbest summarizes such playful such acts playful of not- acts of not-white glazed bowls, and four plates. These Ant Farm’s re-enactment of the Kennedy knowing: knowing: were stacked and placed on the sideboard. assassination, The Eternal Frame, was made THE BLINDTHE MAN BLIND MAN “If there’s“If a discrepancy there’s a discrepancy between certainty between certaintyTurning towards a drawer under the side- the year that Zapruda’s footage became “pub- Marcel DuchampMarcel Duchamp was a devoted was a devoted student ofstudent ofand truth,and the truth, certainty the of certainty the discrepancy of the discrepancyboard next to the sink, he pulled out spoons, licly available.” Ant Farm’s copy of the film Poincar´e’sPoincar´e’sScience&HypothesisScience&Hypothesis(1905), which(1905), whichsabotagessabotages its truth.” its truth.” knives, a ladle and a longer serrated knife. came from conspiracy theory sources and was noted thatnoted “the that aim “the of science aim of is sciencenot things is not things These he laid on the plates together with the originally bootlegged out of the Life maga- themselvesthemselves — as the — dogmatists as the dogmatists in their sim- in their sim- CHILD’S PLAYCHILD’S PLAY piled bowls and carried them out to us, lay- zine lab. plicity imagineplicity imagine— but the — relationsbut the relations between between“The impulse“The to impulse make a to new make language a new is language a ising a them down in the middle of the table and Ant Farm originally wanted to film early things; outsidethings; thoseoutside relations those relations there is there no is nostrong one,”strong Matt one,” Mullican Matt tells Mullican us, “kids tells us, “kidsthen arranging four places for lunch. Fac- in the morning, to avoid the crowds, but it knowableknowable reality.” reality.” do this alldo the this time.” all the The time.” potential The of potential non- of non-ing me, still talking, he put the knives and became evident to them that the light was CreatingCreating an equivalent an equivalent notion in notion the lan- in the lan-knowledgeknowledge is often closely is often connected closely connected to the to theforks down for his own point of view: knife not the same as the light on the Zapruda guage ofguage art, Duchamp of art, Duchamp formulated formulated his fa- his fa-curiosity ofcuriosity children. of children.Not only doNot children only do childrenand spoon right, fork left; then corrected the mous algebraicmous algebraic comparison: comparison: invent newinvent languages new languages all the time, all but the those time, but thosesetting, “So now, after all these years,” he languageslanguages form the basis form forthe a basis pedagogical for a pedagogicallaughingly scolded himself. Another trip into The ratioThea / ratiob a / b method usedmethod in kindergartens used in kindergartens around the around thethe kitchen, humming to the removal of pa- a = thea exhibition,= the exhibition,b = the possibilitiesb = the possibilitiesworld. Soonworld. after Soon the Secondafter the World Second War, World War,per wrappers brought back a square wooden From the New York Public Library Picture Collection: “Beijing. Reading the newspaper. is in no wayis in given no way by given a number by ac number c Italian schoolteacherItalian schoolteacher Loris Malaguzzi Loris Malaguzzi started startedboard with a large loaf to one side, a selection The headlines announce good news: ‘The Nationalist armies are advancing toward the South ( a / b =( ac )/ butb = byc ) the but sign by the( / ) sign ( / ) a child-carea child-careprogram near program the Northern near the Ital- Northern Ital-of cheese and cold meats on the other. and gaining important successes.’ On the same day the Communists reached the city gates.” which separateswhich separatesa & b. a & b. ian city ofian Reggio city Emilia.of Reggio Emilia. “Help yourselves.” (WH) Ant Farm: The Eternal Frame (1975) and (overleaf) Media Burn (1975) What is nowWhat known is now as the known “Reggio as the Emilia “Reggio Emilia Fifty yearsFifty before years conceptualism, before conceptualism, Duchamp DuchampMethod” seesMethod” children sees as children little researchers as little researchers disrupteddisrupted the territory the territory of art at of its art core, at its by core, bywho strivewho to understand strive to understand the world, the making world, making asking, “Canasking, one “Can make one a work make of a art work that of artis that istheir owntheir theories own to theories explain to it. explain A teacher’s it. A teacher’s not of ‘art’?”not of Can ‘art’?” there Can be therean art be that an isn’t?art that isn’t?responsibilityresponsibility is to guide is their to guide natural their cu- natural cu- How canHow one can invent one an invent entirely an entirelyother way other wayriosity ratherriosity than rather replace than it replace with a knowl- it with a knowl- of thinkingof thinking and knowing? and knowing? Can one Can imagine one imagineedge thatedge is foreign that is to foreign them. to Each them. child Each child a new epistemologicala new epistemological map, equipped map, equipped with withhas a particularhas a particular theory in theorya particular in a particular lan- lan- an additionalan additional dimension dimension that reaches that outside reaches outsideguage, makingguage, a school making into a school a place into of a a hun- place of a hun- and beyondand the beyond familiar the north/southfamiliar north/south poles of poles ofdred theoriesdred in theories a hundred in a languages. hundred languages. While While knowing knowingand not-knowingand not-knowing? ? traditionaltraditional pedagogy pedagogy tends to favor tends one to favor of one of The contemporaryThe contemporary cultural theoristcultural Sarattheorist Saratthem andthem discourage and discourage the ninety-nine the ninety-nine others, others, MaharajMaharaj has named has this named other this epistemologi- other epistemologi-the Reggiothe method Reggio recognizes method recognizes the value the of value of cal dimensioncal dimension in his discussion in his discussion of “xeno-epi- of “xeno-epi-keeping themkeeping all, allowing them all, the allowing child to the insert child to insert stemic” andstemic” proposal and proposal of “avidya”: of “avidya”: a beautifully-impossiblea beautifully-impossible cacophony cacophony into the into the “In the“In provocative the provocative spirit of spirit ‘the work of ‘the workfabric of knowledge.fabric of knowledge. of art thatof art isn’t,’ that why isn’t,’ not why adopt not the adopt term the term This line ofThis thought line of culminated thought culminated in 1987 in 1987 ‘non-knowledge’‘non-knowledge’ — despite — pejorative despite pejorative con- con-with Frenchwith philosopher French philosopher Jacques Ranci´ere’s Jacques Ranci´ere’s notationsnotations — for visual — for arts’ visual cognitive arts’ cognitive pro- pro-The IgnorantThe Schoolmaster: Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons Five in Lessons in cesses? Non-knowledge,cesses? Non-knowledge, at any rate, at any is not rate, is notIntellectualIntellectual Emancipation Emancipation. In it, he. argued In it, he argued at all theat same all the as same ‘ignorance.’ as ‘ignorance.’ It refers It to refers tohow the traditionalhow the traditional teacher-student teacher-student relation- relation- the knowledgethe knowledge system’s system’s ‘other,’ that‘other,’ inde- that inde-ship doesship nothing does but nothing reinforce but inequality, reinforce inequality, terminateterminate xeno-zone xeno-zone between between ‘knowledge/ig- ‘knowledge/ig-stultifyingstultifying the learner. the A learner. non-emancipated A non-emancipated norance.’norance.’ For this For‘infra-thin’ this ‘infra-thin’ chink let’s chink use let’s usestudent “isstudent the one “is who the ignores one who that ignores he does that he does the termthe Avidya. term Avidya. In sanskrit In sanskritvidya meansvidya meansnot know whatnot know he does what not he know does and not ignoresknow and ignores ‘knowledge’‘knowledge’ as in the as phrase in the ‘to phrase see-know’: ‘to see-know’:how to knowhow it. to The know master it. The is notmaster only is he not only he the Latinthe cognate Latin cognate is video, is tovideo see,, and to see, its and its modernmodern English cousinEnglish is cousin ‘video.’ is ‘video.’ The pre- The pre- fix ‘A’ signalsfix ‘A’ the signals neutral the gear, neutral a semi-freeze: gear, a semi-freeze: the idea isthe that idea ‘systematic is that ‘systematic knowledge’ knowledge’ is neu- is neu- tralized intralized ‘Avidya’ in ‘Avidya’ but not entirely but not annulled. entirely annulled. Vidya/AvidyaVidya/Avidya are not quite are not binaries.” quite binaries.” As DuchampAs Duchamp explored explored and Maharaj and Maharaj rec- rec- ognizes,ognizes, art can artoperate can operateoutside the outside linear the linear or binaryor axis binary of ignorance/knowledge axis of ignorance/knowledge and and introduceintroduce another epistemological another epistemological dimension dimension — nonknowledge,— nonknowledge, “avidya,” “avidya,” or productive or productive confusionconfusion — that itself— that represents itself represents a power- a power- ful formful of form knowledge, of knowledge, a way of a knowing. way of knowing. Part 2: Headless Body, Topless Bar MORE NEWS FROM NOWHERE

GLASGOW – Listen. “She thought fleas beautiful. Gazing at their stained sections through the microscope, she once said, gave her a feeling as ecstatic as smoking cannabis. In her bedroom she kept them in cellophane bags, in order not to miss a thing that they were doing . . . A lifelong atheist. She admitted that she had been tempted to believe in a creator when she discovered that the flea had a penis.” It’s an obituary for Miriam Rothschild by Anne Wroe for The Economist, in 2005. Ac- cording to the journalist, Rothschild’s father “was a flea man” and that was the genesis of and Lady Bird Johnson enjoyed the drive the passion that led her to discover the flea’s in the open limousine, even when the Se- jumping mechanism. This obituary ranges cret Service man thrust her husband down from the eccentric to the strangely poetic to the floor, even when the car screeched so as Wroe notes, “The smell of a very gently violently round the corner by the hospital squeezed ladybird, she once said, will stay on that she feared they would be flung out of your hands for days.” it. Looking towards the first limousine, she The obituary column is another of the saw what looked like ‘a drift of pink blossom’ many glorious cul-de-sacs to be found in the on the back seat. It was Jackie Kennedy ly- best newspapers. It demands a discipline ing across her dying husband.” from its writers that rivals that of the haiku. Colquhoun, like his successor Ann Wroe, All the basic biographical information should wrote for The Economist one of a few select be included — date of birth and death, fam- papers that have transformed the obituary account, is an architectural firm that only ily, career etc. But it thrives on the telling into a minor art form (The Telegraph and happens to “use art ideas and arise from art detail and on anecdotes that would make a The Independent are the others). At their practices.” It is a corporation formed by novelist weep in despair. Neil Gaiman, for best, obituary writers can sketch a moment artists, built on the legacy of Gordon Matta- instance, cites The Telegraph’s tribute to of life that reveals something of an entire cul- Clark and others who embraced unconven- Colonel Michael Singleton as his favorite obit- ture. Colquhoun, for instance, implies far tional architectural practices, envisioning the uary. A prep school headmaster, Singleton more about empire, race, and human curios- reorganization of physical space according to was Spartan in his regimen. ity that he states in these lines on a deceased ecological priorities. In a culture in which “Long walks, cold dormitories and regu- monk: contemporary art practice is often oriented lar hymn-singing were also an integral part “The achievement of Karl Kehrle, a Bene- towards observation and critique, and art qui- of the education, along with cricket nets and dictine monk, was to breed a very decent etly, if disdainfully, seats itself somewhere to- Latin prose. Despite a brisk code of disci- British bee. Wherever in the world apiarists wards the back of the academic or the media- pline, Singleton took a laissez-faire approach andmeet Lady they speak Bird in Johnson awe of Mr enjoyed Kehrle’s the sturdy drive entertainment bus, Fend makes an extraordi- out of the classroom. Every November 5 the inbee, the which open produces limousine, lots even of honey when and the is Se- re- nary claim for art, which resonates with his smallest boy in the school was sent down a cretluctant Service to sting. man Like thrust the herBritish husband themselves, down take on Fountain. As Fend puts it, “Art is tunnel to light the very core of the bonfire. toit is the a mongrel, floor, even combining when the the car virtues screeched of the so the best way to approach the problem [of eco- None, so far as anyone can recall, was ever violentlynative bee round with the those corner of worthy by the bees hospital from logical production] because it is a modeling lost.” thatelsewhere. she feared Mr Kehrle they once would heard be flung of a promis- out of of what the material values are.” This is not just life from another, van- it.ing beeLooking said to towards be found the only first in limousine, central Africa. she Since its inception, Ocean Earth has initi- ished world but also writing that understands sawAlthough what looked in his 80s, like ‘ain drift poor of health pink blossom’ and car- ated a variety of projects using technological the tone needed to delineate it precisely: onried the on back the back seat. of It a was friend, Jackie he Kennedy tracked the ly- means to see and render landscape and po- “What central heating there existed was ingbee across down heron the dying slopes husband.” of Mount Kiliman- Part 2: Headless Body, Topless Bar tential energy resources in unorthodox ways. not always effective, or even switched on. jaro.”Colquhoun, like his successor Ann Wroe, The group developed a television program Boys were permitted to capture owls and keep wroteThese for The columns Economist negateone the of idea a few of selectnews, with Paul Sharits in 1981 called Space Force, MORE them in the fives court, provided they caught papersexposing that current have a transformedffairs and history the obituary itself as which — in the spirit of Stewart Brand or enough sparrows to feed them. One boy re- intothe crude a minor curriculum art form vitae (The of Telegraph the richand Buckminster Fuller, though with a decidedly NEWS FROM calls being given the task of rearing a lamb powerful.The Independent Tradingare on the the others). ostensible At reason their darker tone — was intended to disseminate to which he developed some emotional at- forbest, their obituary existence writers — the can reporting sketch a of moment a death information from satellite observation of the tachment. The animal, called Lottie, disap- —of life they that instead reveals broadcast something lives of an well entire lived cul- or earth to the public in order to “show the NOWHERE peared shortly before the school’s Christmas otherwise,ture. Colquhoun, replacing for the instance, order of intelligence implies far public what endangers it, be that pollution, feast, and the boy realised what had hap- informationmore about empire,with the race, random and chaos human of thecurios- ev- soil exhaustion, mineral depletion, climac- GLASGOW – Listen. pened only when he was the first to be sum- eryday.ity that he states in these lines on a deceased tic changes, or hostile military preparations. “She thought fleas beautiful. Gazing at moned for second helpings.” monk:This element of chaos characterizes many Space Force exposes the public safety dan- their stained sections through the microscope, Humour and eccentricity certainly help byways“The of achievement a newspaper, of undermining Karl Kehrle, its a Bene- more gers to public view, with state-of-art advances she once said, gave her a feeling as ecstatic an obituary along and often it’s the more strategicdictine monk, aims. wasIf obituaries to breed are a death verydecent letters RUTHRUTH SNYDER’S SNYDER’S DEATH DEATH PICTURED! PICTURED! — — in video and film, in photography and televi- as smoking cannabis. In her bedroom she obscure candidates who provide this while thatBritish surreptitiously bee. Wherever celebrate in the world life then apiarists press ThisThis is is perhaps perhaps the the most most remarkable remarkable exclu- exclu- sion, most dramatically and most instanta- kept them in cellophane bags, in order not the famous dead bore us with their historical photographymeet they speak only in comesawe of Mr into Kehrle’s its own sturdy when sivesive picture picture in in the the history history of of criminology. criminology. It It neously on television.” to miss a thing that they were doing . . . A achievements. Sometimes, though, an obitu- itbee, stumbles whichproduces on a corpse. lots Photography of honey and is is per- re- showsshows the the actual actual scene scene in in the the Sing Sing Sing Sing death death The extension of Ocean Earth’s ventures lifelong atheist. She admitted that she had ary can shed an entirely new light on a tired haps,luctant for to editors, sting. Like the lowest the British permissible themselves, form househouse as as the the lethal lethal current current surged surged through through into mass media reflects Fend’s belief that been tempted to believe in a creator when subject as in the case of Lady Bird Johnson. ofit is journalism a mongrel, (it combining eschews words the virtues entirely, ofcir- the RuthRuth Snyder’s Snyder’s body body at at 11:?? 11:?? last last night. night. Her Her “media is essentially territorial,” and there- she discovered that the flea had a penis.” Keith Colquhoun describes a moment in her cumventingnative bee with reason those to rush of worthy directly bees towards from helmetedhelmeted head head is is sti stiffffenedened in in death, death, her her face face fore an aspect of architecture. In the 1980s, It’s an obituary for Miriam Rothschild by life like this: “November 22nd 1963 started ourelsewhere. nerve centers). Mr Kehrle But once in heard the face of a of promis- disas- maskedmasked and and an an electrode electrode strapped strapped to to her her bare bare using publicly-available satellite imagery cap- Anne Wroe for The Economist, in 2005. Ac- in a drizzle, but soon turned bright. The ter,ing bee photography said to be found will overturn only in central words. Africa. rightright leg. leg. The The autopsy autopsy table table on on which which her her tured by Landsat, a U.S. civilian satellite, cording to the journalist, Rothschild’s father sun shone on Dallas, the breeze was light, AlthoughOn Friday in his 13th, 80s, January in poor health 1928, theandNew car- bodybody was was removed removed is is beside beside her. her. Judd Judd Gray, Gray, members of Ocean Earth worked with NASA “was a flea man” and that was the genesis of and Lady Bird Johnson enjoyed the drive riedYork on Daily the News back ofran a just friend, such he a tracked front page. the mumblingmumbling a a prayer, prayer, followed followed her her down down the the experts to analyze these images and thus pro- the passion that led her to discover the flea’s in the open limousine, even when the Se- beeUnder down a headline on the slopes reduced of Mountto one Kiliman- word — narrownarrow corridor corridor at at 11:11. 11:11. “Father, “Father, forgive forgive duce commercially-viable information which jumping mechanism. This obituary ranges cret Service man thrust her husband down jaro.”“DEAD!” — there was a full cover picture them,them, for for they they don’t don’t know know what what they they are are do- do- they then sold to major news organizations, from the eccentric to the strangely poetic to the floor, even when the car screeched so of aThese masked columns woman negate strapped the toidea an of electric news, ing!”ing!” were were Ruth’s Ruth’s last last words. words. The The picture picture is is including NBC and the BBC. Although the as Wroe notes, “The smell of a very gently violently round the corner by the hospital exposingchair in Sing current Sing aff prison.airs and Ruth history Snyder, itself as a thethe first first Sing Sing Sing Sing execution execution picture picture and and first first civilian satellite images were of inferior res- squeezed ladybird, she once said, will stay on that she feared they would be flung out of thehousewife crude curriculumfrom Queens vitae and of Judd the rich Gray, and a ofof a a woman’s woman’s electrocution. electrocution. olution to more sophisticated military satel- your hands for days.” it. Looking towards the first limousine, she powerful.corset salesman Trading and on Snyder’s the ostensible lover, had reason mur- ThatThat DailyDaily News News frontfront page page overturned overturned lites, weather permitting, Ocean Earth could The obituary column is another of the saw what looked like ‘a drift of pink blossom’ fordered their her existence husband — Albert, the reporting the editor of a of deathMo- allall sense sense of of “news.” “news.” The The power power of of the the im- im- see enough to identify air bases and troop many glorious cul-de-sacs to be found in the on the back seat. It was Jackie Kennedy ly- —tor they Boating insteadmagazine. broadcast Thomas lives well Howard, lived or a ageage went went far far beyond beyond the the story story of of Ruth Ruth Sny- Sny- movements in hot spots of conflict, including best newspapers. It demands a discipline ing across her dying husband.” otherwise,Daily News replacingphotographer, the order was of present intelligence as a derder and and Judd Judd Gray’s Gray’s crime crime and and far far beyond beyond Libya and the Falklands. In the context of from its writers that rivals that of the haiku. Colquhoun, like his successor Ann Wroe, witnessinformation to her with execution the random and,unknown chaos of the tothe ev- anyany treatise treatise on on criminology. criminology. It It thrust thrust readers readers the Cold War, the market for images of war All the basic biographical information should wrote for The Economist one of a few select guards,eryday. had strapped a camera on his ankle intointo deeper deeper issues issues of of ontology, ontology, compelled compelled the the zones was greater than that for prospective be included — date of birth and death, fam- papers that have transformed the obituary to captureThis element the image. of chaos The characterizes original shot many is newspapernewspaper to to publish publish an an additional additional 750,000 750,000 project sites related to conservation, ecology ily, career etc. But it thrives on the telling into a minor art form (The Telegraph and pitchedbyways of upwards a newspaper, at a near undermining 45-degree its angle, more copiescopies to to meet meet demand demand and and confronted confronted the the and land use. detail and on anecdotes that would make a The Independent are the others). At their showingstrategic Ruth aims. Snyder If obituaries beyond are the death shoes letters of the populationpopulation with with an an incomprehensible incomprehensible vision vision By the end of the 1980s, most of Ocean novelist weep in despair. Neil Gaiman, for best, obituary writers can sketch a moment surroundingthat surreptitiously witnesses. celebrate The imagelife then printed press ofof the the world. world. Earth’s founders and early collaborators, in- instance, cites The Telegraph’s tribute to of life that reveals something of an entire cul- onphotography the front pageonly comes of the into Friday its 13th ownDaily when NewspapersNewspapers appear appear to to o offfferer us us intelligence intelligence cluding artists Dennis Oppenheim, Paul Shar- Colonel Michael Singleton as his favorite obit- ture. Colquhoun, for instance, implies far itNews stumbles, however, on a is corpse. a straightened Photography and cropped is per- thatthat will will help help us us decipher decipher a a changing changing world. world. its, Wolfgang Staehle, Kirsten Mosher, and uary. A prep school headmaster, Singleton more about empire, race, and human curios- close-uphaps, for of editors, Snyder the strapped lowest permissible to the chair. form At InIn fact, fact, they they repeatedly repeatedly rupture rupture and and flood flood Taro Suzuki had moved onto other pursuits. was Spartan in his regimen. ity that he states in these lines on a deceased theof journalism bottom of (it the eschews page runs words a meta-caption, entirely, cir- acrossacross their their boundaries boundaries into into realms realms of of non- non- Meanwhile, Ocean Earth renewed its energy- “Long walks, cold dormitories and regu- monk: commentingcumventing reason as much to onrush the directly publication towards of sense,sense, where where our our true true reading reading pleasure pleasure lies. lies. focused work. In 1994, a proposal to be- lar hymn-singing were also an integral part “The achievement of Karl Kehrle, a Bene- theour imagenerve centers). as on the But story in itself: the face of disas- ObituaryObituary expert expert Nigel Nigel Starck Starck pinpoints pinpoints gin methane production from algae extrac- of the education, along with cricket nets and dictine monk, was to breed a very decent ter, photography will overturn words. justjust such such a a moment moment in in his his brief brief account account of of tion and fermentation in Wellington, New Latin prose. Despite a brisk code of disci- British bee. Wherever in the world apiarists On Friday 13th, January 1928, the New aa British British military military man: man: “Major “Major Digby Digby Tath- Tath- Zealand, which had been many years in de- pline, Singleton took a laissez-faire approach meet they speak in awe of Mr Kehrle’s sturdy York Daily News ran just such a front page. am-Warter,am-Warter, of of Britain’s Britain’s Parachute Parachute Regiment, Regiment, velopment, fell through. Subsequently, Heidi out of the classroom. Every November 5 the bee, which produces lots of honey and is re- Under a headline reduced to one word — carriedcarried an an umbrella umbrella into into battle battle at at Arnheim Arnheim Mardon, a New Zealander who had been a smallest boy in the school was sent down a luctant to sting. Like the British themselves, “DEAD!” — there was a full cover picture inin 1944. 1944. When When a a brother brother o offifficercer questioned questioned spearhead in the Wellington project, turned tunnel to light the very core of the bonfire. it is a mongrel, combining the virtues of the of a masked woman strapped to an electric itsits value value in in the the face face of of an an artillery artillery bombard- bombard- to the public school system, becoming direc- None, so far as anyone can recall, was ever native bee with those of worthy bees from chair in Sing Sing prison. Ruth Snyder, a ment,ment, the the major major replied: replied: ‘But ‘But what what if if it it rains?”’ rains?”’ tor of a program called Enviroschools, with lost.” elsewhere. Mr Kehrle once heard of a promis- housewife from Queens and Judd Gray, a (FM)(FM) a pilot group of three schools. From this This is not just life from another, van- ing bee said to be found only in central Africa. corset salesman and Snyder’s lover, had mur- beginning, in 1999, Enviroschools has grown ished world but also writing that understands Although in his 80s, in poor health and car- dered her husband Albert, the editor of Mo- over the past ten years to enroll 213,000 stu- the tone needed to delineate it precisely: ried on the back of a friend, he tracked the tor Boating magazine. Thomas Howard, a THE PITS dents today — roughly 5% of the entire New Part 2: Headless Body, Topless Bar “What central heating there existed was Daily News photographer, was present as a Part 2: Headless Body, Topless Bar bee down on the slopes of Mount Kiliman- ICONS Zealand population. not always effective, or even switched on. jaro.” witness to her execution and, unknown to the NEW YORK — Walking or riding along the Unlike the utopian proposals put forth by MORE Boys were permitted to capture owls and keep These columns negate the idea of news, guards, had strapped a camera on his ankle avenues, you can imagine the storefronts with- GOVERN Cedric Price, Archigram, and other vision- MORE them in the fives court, provided they caught exposing current affairs and history itself as to capture the image. The original shot is out tenants. Bank branches, juice bars, shops ary architects, the proposals of Ocean Earth enough sparrows to feed them. One boy re- the crude curriculum vitae of the rich and pitched upwards at a near 45-degree angle, selling electronics and scarves: all of them have taken the form of viable solutions for NEWSNEWS FROM FROM calls being given the task of rearing a lamb powerful. Trading on the ostensible reason showing Ruth Snyder beyond the shoes of the gone, unable to make the rent, and the land- ACTION mass communications, education, and energy to which he developed some emotional at- for their existence — the reporting of a death surrounding witnesses. The image printed lords, verging on default, unable to lure re- production. In many cases, Ocean Earth’s NOWHERE tachment. The animal, called Lottie, disap- — they instead broadcast lives well lived or on the front page of the Friday 13th Daily placements. It’s a feasible scenario, if you MANHATTAN — “There is nothing funny work has entailed re-conceptualization of so- NOWHERE peared shortly before the school’s Christmas otherwise, replacing the order of intelligence News, however, is a straightened and cropped consider the consumer-confidence and con- about the urinal,” Peter Fend insists. Per- cial and political territories along completely feast, and the boy realised what had hap- information with the random chaos of the ev- close-up of Snyder strapped to the chair. At sumer-price indices, the wealth destruction, GLASGOW – Listen. haps not. Nor is there anything particularly different lines, as well as a rethinking of la- GLASGOW – Listen. pened only when he was the first to be sum- eryday. the bottom of the page runs a meta-caption, all the layoffs and trickle-down effects, and “She thought fleas beautiful. Gazing at funny about the deteriorating state of our bor. The work sits in unfamiliar territory, “She thought fleas beautiful. Gazing at moned for second helpings.” This element of chaos characterizes many commenting as much on the publication of the allegedly unrelated possibility, as the New their stained sections through the microscope, global ecosystem. Nevertheless, several hun- somewhere in-between established paradigms their stained sections through the microscope, Humour and eccentricity certainly help byways of a newspaper, undermining its more the image as on the story itself: York Times reported last week, that “some- she once said, gave her a feeling as ecstatic dred otherwise sober attendees at a recent for art, business, and science, projecting a she once said, gave her a feeling as ecstatic an obituary along and often it’s the more strategic aims. If obituaries are death letters RUTH SNYDER’S DEATH PICTURED! — thing funny is happening on the dark side of as smoking cannabis. In her bedroom she summit held at the New York Public Library worldview somewhere in-between capitalism as smoking cannabis. In her bedroom she obscure candidates who provide this while that surreptitiously celebrate life then press This is perhaps the most remarkable exclu- the universe.” (“A better and more enticing kept them in cellophane bags, in order not laughed heartily as Fend showed a sequence and anarchist utopia. kept them in cellophane bags, in order not the famous dead bore us with their historical photography only comes into its own when sive picture in the history of criminology. It explanation for the excess is that the parti- to miss a thing that they were doing . . . A of Powerpoint (TM) slides leading directly Fend is tall and thin, apparently averse to miss a thing that they were doing . . . A achievements. Sometimes, though, an obitu- it stumbles on a corpse. Photography is per- shows the actual scene in the Sing Sing death cles are being spit out of the fireballs cre- lifelong atheist. She admitted that she had from Marcel Duchamp’s iconic urinal, Foun- to palaver. Conversations with him begin lifelong atheist. She admitted that she had ary can shed an entirely new light on a tired haps, for editors, the lowest permissible form house as the lethal current surged through ated by dark matter particles colliding and been tempted to believe in a creator when tain, through Robert Smithson’s Spiral Jetty, as if they might be ended at any moment been tempted to believe in a creator when subject as in the case of Lady Bird Johnson. of journalism (it eschews words entirely, cir- Ruth Snyder’s body at 11:?? last night. Her annihilating one another in space” — and she discovered that the flea had a penis.” to a drawing of the globe in which the world’s by forces beyond immediate control. Un- she discovered that the flea had a penis.” Keith Colquhoun describes a moment in her cumventing reason to rush directly towards helmeted head is stiffened in death, her face here we were blaming Alan Greenspan.) A It’s an obituary for Miriam Rothschild by oceans appear to be spiraling down the tubes. til then, there is a great deal of ground to It’s an obituary for Miriam Rothschild by life like this: “November 22nd 1963 started our nerve centers). But in the face of disas- masked and an electrode strapped to her bare friend who worked in Southeast Asia in the Anne Wroe for The Economist, in 2005. Ac- Fend was on his way to Germany from be covered and not enough time to cover it. Anne Wroe for The Economist, in 2005. Ac- in a drizzle, but soon turned bright. The ter, photography will overturn words. right leg. The autopsy table on which her nineteen-nineties, during the recession there, cording to the journalist, Rothschild’s father New Zealand, where he divides his time, with To a meeting during his recent trip to New cording to the journalist, Rothschild’s father sun shone on Dallas, the breeze was light, On Friday 13th, January 1928, the New body was removed is beside her. Judd Gray, recalls visiting Bangkok and Jakarta to see “was a flea man” and that was the genesis of a stopover of a few days in New York to ap- York, he brought an oversized suitcase, full “was a flea man” and that was the genesis of York Daily News ran just such a front page. mumbling a prayer, followed her down the the abandoned high-rises of the preceding eco- the passion that led her to discover the flea’s pear at the summit. There, he was allotted of drawings and papers, from which he pro- the passion that led her to discover the flea’s Under a headline reduced to one word — narrow corridor at 11:11. “Father, forgive nomic boom. He found ranges of half-finished jumping mechanism. This obituary ranges seven minutes to present the work of Ocean cured plans and documentation from Ocean jumping mechanism. This obituary ranges “DEAD!” — there was a full cover picture them, for they don’t know what they are do- buildings, derelict superstructures occupied from the eccentric to the strangely poetic Earth, the corporation he founded in 1980, Earth as he spoke. Files were opened. Xe- from the eccentric to the strangely poetic of a masked woman strapped to an electric ing!” were Ruth’s last words. The picture is by tent shanties and with squatters gathered as Wroe notes, “The smell of a very gently which has been the focus of his consider- roxes were made. Photographs were taken. as Wroe notes, “The smell of a very gently chair in Sing Sing prison. Ruth Snyder, a theAgainst first Sing this Singbackdrop, execution the pictureoptimistic and prac- first around fires. It may be no great leap from squeezed ladybird, she once said, will stay on able energies for the last thirty years. Fend The air in the room was bated. In Fend’s squeezed ladybird, she once said, will stay on housewife from Queens and Judd Gray, a oftice a ofwoman’s “good manners”electrocution. amounts to a similar there to a vision here of burning garbage your hands for days.” cited Duchamp’s Fountain to illustrate what company, one has the palpable sense that the your hands for days.” corset salesman and Snyder’s lover, had mur- defianceThat Daily of both News thefront backslapping page overturned pragma- cans and jerry-rigged cardboard in Washing- The obituary column is another of the he sees as the profound influence of icons in clock is ticking on civilization. The obituary column is another of the dered her husband Albert, the editor of Mo- alltism sense of the of Carry-Ons“news.” The and power the coercive of the im- no- ton Mutual’s cashless vestibules or the bare many glorious cul-de-sacs to be found in the the development of political and social insti- Fend expresses frustration with the eco- many glorious cul-de-sacs to be found in the tor Boating magazine. Thomas Howard, a ageholds-barred went far beyond pragmatism the story of the of Ruth Can-Dos. Sny- aisles of Circuit City. best newspapers. It demands a discipline tutions: “Icons govern action. The urinal, nomic disempowerment of artists. “I have best newspapers. It demands a discipline .Daily . . Don’t News makephotographer, a fuss! Carry was on present regardless! as a derGood and manners Judd Gray’s demonstrate crime aand degree far beyond of con- “What will it look like?”is a question of from its writers that rivals that of the haiku. like Morton Shamberg’s God, which is just long argued that the art world is corrupt. from its writers that rivals that of the haiku. witnessA pragmatism to her execution that might and, unknown defy this to fatal- the anysideration, treatise a on refusal criminology. to simply It accept thrust the readers rules the hour, as people try to visualize the ways All the basic biographical information should a piece of plumbing, governs subsequent ac- It is not transparent and not financially or All the basic biographical information should istguards, bias had would strapped have to a camera wed its on responsive- his ankle intoof an deeper imposed, issues false of ontology, game, instead compelled insisting the in which life will change in New York as a be included — date of birth and death, fam- tion. Throughout much of western culture, legally honest. The power structure wants be included — date of birth and death, fam- nessto capture with a the spirit image. of non-reconciliation. The original shot This is newspaperon the time, to right, publish and an freedom additional to consider 750,000 result of the financial and economic crisis. ily, career etc. But it thrives on the telling the notion of the state has been embodied in art to be disempowered.” It does not want ily, career etc. But it thrives on the telling stancepitched would upwards invoke at adiscontent near 45-degreeas a angle, moti- copiesone’s terms to meet of engagement demand and in confronted a given situa- the In the mind’s eye, we tend to populate our detail and on anecdotes that would make a the leader, the hero, the standing figure. If the changes that result from new thought, detail and on anecdotes that would make a GONZO vatingshowing force Ruth (rather Snyder than beyond a side the e shoesffect in of the populationtion. This iswith crucial, an incomprehensible because neither visionof the recessionary streets with squad cars painted novelist weep in despair. Neil Gaiman, for an icon is terrain, or surroundings, instead of i.e., art. As a result, the art world has en- novelist weep in despair. Neil Gaiman, for formsurrounding of the begrudging witnesses. and The complaining image printed that oftwo the ideological world. versions of pragmatism grant green, cat’s-eyed ambulances, and other ana- instance, cites The Telegraph’s tribute to a role model or hero, then it causes a differ- gendered a religion of disbelief. “Whatever is instance, cites The Telegraph’s tribute to typicallyon the front accompanies page of the “making Friday do”). 13th InDaily this anyoneNewspapers this time, appear right, to and offer freedom. us intelligence Both chronisms — “Fort Apache, the Bronx: The Colonel Michael Singleton as his favorite obit- PRAGMATISM ent orientation of social activity — we come shown or said is supposed to be disbelieved, Colonel Michael Singleton as his favorite obit- spirit,News, however,the pragmatist is a straightened engages with and the cropped given thatconstrue will ahelp scenario us decipher of economic a changing pressure world. (the Remake.” But, really, the city will probably uary. A prep school headmaster, Singleton to see the ideal as our surroundings, not a and it is supposed to not become real. It is uary. A prep school headmaster, Singleton notclose-up on the of Snyder premise strapped that “the to the given” chair. is Atall Inphantom fact, they threat repeatedly of eternal rupture postwar and scarcity, flood just look the way it does now. After an ex- was Spartan in his regimen. leader. The surroundings are whatever bowl supposed to not work.” was Spartan in his regimen. BERLIN / LOUISVILLE — The fundamen- therethe bottom is to life, of the but page with runs an a awareness meta-caption, that acrossor the theirbottomless boundaries fear of into precarious realms futures) of non- traordinary era of construction and renova- “Long walks, cold dormitories and regu- we happen to be in.” He calls for artists to assume political and “Long walks, cold dormitories and regu- tal beauty of a manner of thinking — and thingscommenting could be as otherwise. much on the When publication facing spe- of sense,in which where taking our time true to reading consider pleasure terms seems lies. tion, demolition and replacement, there will lar hymn-singing were also an integral part For Fend, Duchamp’s Fountain, albeit a economic power to realize their ideas, partic- lar hymn-singing were also an integral part philosophy of design — that recognizes the cificthe image problems, as on the the possibility story itself: of radical dif- outObituary of the question; expert Nigel only immediate Starck pinpoints action almost certainly come a long period in which of the education, along with cricket nets and urinal on a pedestal, is the obvious metaphor ularly because he believes it is the role of of the education, along with cricket nets and value of making well-considered decisions in ference remains in view. justappears such appropriate. a moment in Doesn’t his brief an account insistence of little to nothing gets built. Putting aside Latin prose. Despite a brisk code of disci- to effectively lead society in the direction of artists to conceive of new solutions to ad- Latin prose. Despite a brisk code of disci- highly contingent situations lies in its avowal “What’s wrong with you, boy?”He grinned aon British good military manners, man: then, “Major effectively Digby contest Tath- the long-discussed public projects that are pline, Singleton took a laissez-faire approach topological priorities, toward a radical reori- dress deteriorating ecological conditions. He pline, Singleton took a laissez-faire approach of optimistic practice. and winked at the bartender. am-Warter,economic pressure of Britain’s as the Parachuteultima Regiment, ratio, the endangered or doomed (the Second Avenue out of the classroom. Every November 5 the entation of values. While his audience may laments, “artists are often afraid of taking out of the classroom. Every November 5 the This is the intuition that many situations Often it is precisely an underlying sense carriedgold standard, an umbrella in relation into battle to which at Arnheim every- Subway, the West Side Railyards, Brooklyn smallest boy in the school was sent down a be laughing, Fend is not. He is taking it all their art to its architectural or mediaspace smallest boy in the school was sent down a which seem irresolvable when described in of irreverence that allows people to act in a inthing 1944. else When mustbe a brother measured offi andcer questioned justified? Bridge Park, Moynihan Station, etc.), dozens tunnel to light the very core of the bonfire. quite literally, and he has a point. After all, possibilities.” As historical reference points tunnel to light the very core of the bonfire. general theoretical terms (ideological, meta- situation at all, simply because this irrever- its valueBut what in the the face hell? of Anybodyan artillery who bombard- wanders of private undertakings have stalled or died. None, so far as anyone can recall, was ever if wars are fought over imaginary lines, then for the influential practice he envisions, Fend None, so far as anyone can recall, was ever physical, etc.) can actually be resolved, some- ance loosens the grip of the rules established ment,around the the major world replied: saying, ‘But “Hell what yes, if I’m it rains?”’ from The calls go out to the architects: pencils lost.” icons — the images we project onto the world cites Renaissance artist-engineers Le Nˆotre lost.” how, when you dare approach them with a in that context. Is that not the originary re- (FM)Texas,” deserves whatever happens to him. down. We have inherited, from the good This is not just life from another, van- — would seem to govern action, indeed. and Vauban, who developed new strategies This is not just life from another, van- readiness to listen, learn, negotiate, and im- bellious spirit of pragmatism? Its disregard And he had, after all, come here once again years, a glut of housing, almost all of it of the ished world but also writing that understands Ocean Earth was formed by Fend in part- for political control of space. Vauban de- ished world but also writing that understands provise. This insight is at the center of prag- for the rules, laws, traditions — “truths” — to make a nineteenth-century ass of himself unaffordable kind — condos galore — and an the tone needed to delineate it precisely: nership with fellow artists Colen Fitzgibbon, signed a pentagon-shaped fortress for Louis the tone needed to delineate it precisely: matist thought; it is its wit. that impose standards of what de iure, by the in the midst of some jaded, atavistic freakout increase in office space amid a sudden, steep “What central heating there existed was Jenny Holzer, Peter Nadin, Richard Prince, XIV that clearly influenced the design of the “What central heating there existed was “By God! You old bastard! Good to see book, cannot be done (when, as the prag- with nothing to recommend it except a very decrease in the need for it. Throw in the high not always effective, or even switched on. and Robin Winters as the legal entity Ocean U.S. Pentagon building, and Le Nˆotre is well- not always effective, or even switched on. you, boy! Damn good . . . and I mean it!” matic person will de facto demonstrate, of saleable “tradition.” cost, or total unavailability, of capital, owing Boys were permitted to capture owls and keep Earth Construction and Development Corpo- known as the designer of the landscape of Boys were permitted to capture owls and keep There’s been a lot of talk about pragma- course it can)? This critical edge is what can This insistence is inherently anti-econom- to the credit freeze, and you have a New York them in the fives court, provided they caught ration. Over three decades, the company’s modern France, which eventually influenced them in the fives court, provided they caught tism recently, but the re-articulation of its enable pragmatism to cut through the Gor- ical. In a scenario of all-out economic pres- that may be frozen in time. The skyline, enough sparrows to feed them. One boy re- trajectory has extended from satellite imagery the city plan of Washington, D.C. enough sparrows to feed them. One boy re- wit is a tricky proposition. Divested of its dian knots created by false beliefs. When it sure, ruled by deadlines, time spent consid- which has been very dynamic recently, like a calls being given the task of rearing a lamb and media programming to the development While Fend’s models for practice are ser- calls being given the task of rearing a lamb philosophical humor, pragmatism is reduced casts “the given” in a different light and dis- ering the preliminaries of how to engage will stereo’s equalizer display, should sit still for to which he developed some emotional at- of alternative energy resources and a nation- vants of the state, his agenda for art is cul- to which he developed some emotional at- to an ideological travesty when it appears in pels imaginary constraints, pragmatism en- always seem like wasted time, or at least time a while. The clothes in our closets today will tachment. The animal, called Lottie, disap- wide school curriculum with a hands-on ped- tivation of territory. He explains, “Rather tachment. The animal, called Lottie, disap- its current dominant form: the imposed pres- ables people to act, causing small insurgences. that noone can afford. To take that time — be the ones we’re wearing when we’re old. peared shortly before the school’s Christmas agogical agenda for sustainable ecology. Ac- than talk of money, one could use the broader peared shortly before the school’s Christmas sure to improvise under all circumstances, to Irreverence makes pragmatism a liberatory indeed to show that it even exists — in a cul- Keep an eye on the construction pits that feast, and the boy realised what had hap- cording to the 1981 Corporate Statement, term, from French, of la Richesse. Or abun- feast, and the boy realised what had hap- the best of your abilities. force. ture governed by the economic imperative, developers dug to make way for the founda- pened only when he was the first to be sum- “Ocean Earth Construction and Development dance. Our task is to assure that the ter- pened only when he was the first to be sum- This is epitomized by the knee-jerk opti- “Who you work for?” I stared at him makes good manners the closest you might tions of new buildings. The town is pocked moned for second helpings.” Corporation develops regional plansand other ritory where we are has abundance, that it moned for second helpings.” mism of a “Can-Do” culture, whose attitude again. “Don’t you read the newspapers?” get to civil disobedience. with them. The real-estate boom fostered Humour and eccentricity certainly help architectural programs that promote those can support the healthy and long lives of the Humour and eccentricity certainly help of “scrape by and keep smiling” seems req- No matter how emancipatory it sounds, The danger of embracing “good manners”, grand schemes, which, though they are in an obituary along and often it’s the more means of energy production which in no way native animals and plants, and also support an obituary along and often it’s the more uisite for the increasing numbers of people this proposal still has a peculiar ring�c Peter to it. Fischli / Davidhowever, Weiss, courtesyis its tacit Matthew espousal Marks of Gallery conservatism., New York many cases now stillborn, began with holes obscure candidates who provide this while contribute to ecological breakdown of the pla- people.” Thus considered, wealth is territo- obscure candidates who provide this while working under precarious conditions. Does After all, any self-help book or motivational It certainly doesn’t sound like civil disobedi- in the ground. The expiration, earlier this the famous dead bore us with their historical net.” Instead, Ocean Earth would pursue de- rial. When people reduce wealth production the famous dead bore us with their historical pragmatism as proposed in the philosophy trainer will also aim to teach you techniques ence. It seems crucial again, therefore, to year, of a tax-abatement law, 421-a, encour- achievements. Sometimes, though, an obitu- velopment of solar-generated energy in a va- to commodities, with earnings gained from achievements.GONZO Sometimes, though, an obitu- of William James cease to be a creative act to dispel imaginary constraints . . . but only switch tracks and re-emphasize the irrever- aged residential builders to dig quickly, to ary can shedGONZO an entirely new light on a tired riety of forms, including sea-based biomass, sales to consumers, then society takes a de- ary can shed an entirely new light on a tired — an act of freedom — when precarious liv- to turn you into a happier, healthier, more ent wit at the heart of pragmatic philosophy. achieve grandfather status and thus better subject as in the case of Lady Bird Johnson. degradable chiefly to methane — the project pletive approach to wealth. It plunders the subject as in the case of Lady Bird Johnson. ing conditions leave you with simply no other productive slave to a competitive work cul- (And to note that the ability to maintain a financing. Hence a sudden spate of new pits, KeithPRAGMATISM Colquhoun describes a moment in her to which Fend and Ocean Earth are primarily land. The French word for a site of richesse KeithPRAGMATISM Colquhoun describes a moment in her choice? How do you set the emancipatory ture that, deregulated as it is, knows neither constant awareness and balance of the two some that builders may have had no inten- life like this: “November 22nd 1963 started dedicated today, and which is in pilot devel- is patrimoine. life like this: “November 22nd 1963 started spirit of pragmatism apart from the ideo- rules nor impossibilities anyway. In which — the good-mannered and the irreverant — tion of filling soon anyway. In some cases, if in a drizzle, but soon turned bright. The opment for the exhibition Ruhr 2010. What are we doing about our patrimony? BERLINin a drizzle, / LOUISVILLE but soon turned — The bright. fundamen- The logical farce that the “Can-Do” imperative case to “take it and run” may just be down- seems to be what we’re after here.) Let’s a developer hasn’t already paid for the steel, BERLINsun shone / LOUISVILLE on Dallas, the — breeze The fundamen- was light, To be clear, Ocean Earth, by Fend’s own tal beauty of a manner of thinking — and makes of it? How can you re-animate its in- right reckless. take another example. he will be inclined, or forced, to walk away. What are we doing, to use Duchamp’s model, suntal beauty shone on of aDallas, manner the of breeze thinking was — light, and account, is an architectural firm that only philosophy of design — that recognizes the herent humor and wisdom? Its soul? So, while the contrarian kernel of pragma- Conducting pragmatic negotiations in dif- Buildings that are halfway built tend to get about our urinals? He called them Fontaines philosophy of design — that recognizes the happens to “use art ideas and arise from art — that is, they would be sources, or foun- value of making well-considered decisions in It’s a question of intention: how to ap- tism needs to be disassociated from the fatal- ficult situations usually requires one to act finished, although they may wind up being value of making well-considered decisions in practices.” It is a corporation formed by tains, of more richesse and abundance. highly contingent situations lies in its avowal proach a given situation? The political, emo- ist Carry On Conformism that it is tradition- as a (good-mannered) moderator in order to what are called “see-throughs.” What will highly contingent situations lies in its avowal artists, built on the legacy of Gordon Matta- With characteristic impudence towards an of optimistic practice. tional, and artistic prudence of pragmatism ally prone to collapse into, it equally has to make people talk and listen to each other. become of the pits? Can we turn them into of optimistic practice. Clark and others who embraced unconven- academic status quo, Fend reaches beyond This is the intuition that many situations resides in the realization that the specific con- be set apart from its current conflation with However, this doesn’t mean that a pragmatic half-wild swimming holes, like the granite This is the intuition that many situations tional architectural practices, envisioning the the widely accepted reading of the urinal — which seem irresolvable when described in text of the situation in which one does or the Can-Do culture of compulsive buoyancy style of engagement is moderate by defini- quarries of New England? Ring them with which seem irresolvable when described in reorganization of physical space according to that the meaning of a cultural work is unsta- general theoretical terms (ideological, meta- says something will determine the meaning and reckless competitiveness. If these two tion. On the contrary, in a situation where general theoretical terms (ideological, meta- barbed wire and convert them into debtors’ ecological priorities. In a culture in which ble, and is more or less an effect of the so- physical, etc.) can actually be resolved, some- and effect of one’s actions and words. Prag- mutations of pragmatism seem like carica- there appears to be no possibility of discus- prisons or internment camps for the culprits physical, etc.) can actually be resolved, some- contemporary art practice is often oriented cial and political space in which it exists — how, when you dare approach them with a matism is defined by the capacity to grasp tures of postwar British- and contemporary sion, to politely, categorically insist on dis- who structured synthetic C.D.O.s? They’d how, when you dare approach them with a towards observation and critique, and art qui- to emphasize instead the significance of its readiness to listen, learn, negotiate, and im- that context and react honestly to the spe- U.S.-American culture, that’s because these cussing possibilites nonetheless implies an ir- make excellent ha-has, for livery horses or readiness to listen, learn, negotiate, and im- etly, if disdainfully, seats itself somewhere to- physical, formal qualities, in which he sees a provise. This insight is at the center of prag- cific challenges that it presents. Witty prag- two countries have historically been the van- reverent disregard for how the situation is livestock. Corn mazes. Extreme-cockfighting provise. This insight is at the center of prag- wards the back of the academic or the media- new paradigm for thought and action. matist thought; it is its wit. matism is the art of responsive and respon- guards of both formulating pragmatism as a being portrayed — and that can hardly be arenas. Or perhaps they could serve, over matist thought; it is its wit. entertainment bus, Fend makes an extraordi- n+1 “By God! You old bastard! Good to see sible reactions. Marco Roth of , who met Fend dur- “By God! You old bastard! Good to see philosophy and implementing it as an ideol- called moderate. When there is no proper time, as urban tar pits, entrapping and pre- nary claim for art, which resonates with his you, boy! Damn good . . . and I mean it!” In the air-conditioned lounge I met a man ing his recent trip, perhaps best describes the you, boy! Damn good . . . and I mean it!” ogy. way to solve a problem, because how that serving in garbage and white brick dust the take on Fountain. As Fend puts it, “Art is work of Ocean Earth as “the hopeful spirit There’s been a lot of talk about pragma- from Houston who said his name was some- I leaned closer to him, half-whispering: “proper” is construed by the book is part of There’s been a lot of talk about pragma- occasional unlucky passerby for the scientific the best way to approach the problem [of eco- of Situationism (soyez raisonnable, deman- tism recently, but the re-articulation of its thing or other — “but just call me Jimbo” “Look . . . how would you like a job?” He the problem, the pragmatic way to sidestep edification of future generations, if there turn tism recently, but the re-articulation of its logical production] because it is a modeling dez l’impossible!) grafted on to the tech- wit is a tricky proposition. Divested of its — and he was here to get it on. “I’m ready backed off quickly. “What? Come on, now. the whole scenario must seem improper. Acts out to be any. Or they could become parking wit is a tricky proposition. Divested of its of what the material values are.” nological imagination of Futurism. If those philosophical humor, pragmatism is reduced for anything, by God! Anything at all. Yeah, What kind of a job?” “Never mind,” I said. that testify to pragmatic philosophical wit lots. philosophical humor, pragmatism is reduced Since its inception, Ocean Earth has initi- Italians hadn’t been fascists, they would’ve to an ideological travesty when it appears in what are you drinkin’?” “You just blew it.” will therefore always have something improper Vacant space tends to remain vacant, in to an ideological travesty when it appears in ated a variety of projects using technological been a bit like Ocean Earth. It seems like a its current dominant form: the imposed pres- But what if that situation is rigidly gov- But this conversion is not conclusive; the and immoderate about them. To recoup the anticipation of an upswing. Tax policy, iner- its current dominant form: the imposed pres- means to see and render landscape and po- grandiose project, but it’s grandiosity for the sure to improvise under all circumstances, to erned by questionable or intolerable laws? In relation between the originary philosophy and philosophy from the ideology, then, means tia, and the eternal belief that things will get sure to improvise under all circumstances, to tential energy resources in unorthodox ways. sake of the community, not for the individual the best of your abilities. this case any response that is practically pos- its ideological version is an ongoing struggle embracing the immoderate consideratedness better (profitable) again usually trump civic the best of your abilities. The group developed a television program artist. He strikes me as the most thoughtful This is epitomized by the knee-jerk opti- sible within the given situation will abide by carried out in the arena of everyday culture, of an irreverent, improper, gonzo pragma- This is epitomized by the knee-jerk opti- dreams of pocket parks or stickball fields. with Paul Sharits in 1981 called Space Force, kind of anarchist, someone who really asks mism of a “Can-Do” culture, whose attitude those laws and therefore confirm them. Prag- politics, and ethics. As such, it seems im- tism. Whoever ends up owning it all, after the fore- mism of a “Can-Do” culture, whose attitude which — in the spirit of Stewart Brand or what it would take to break the state or cor- of “scrape by and keep smiling” seems req- matists who content themselves by “work- portant to highlight instances of people who This gonzo pragmatism, alive and criti- closures and the workouts are done, holds out of “scrape by and keep smiling” seems req- Buckminster Fuller, though with a decidedly porate monopolies on the means of control, uisite for the increasing numbers of people ing with whatever possibilities” under op- perform the adversary ethos of pragmatism cal with its irreverent, improper, immoderate for the big payday. The greatest pit of them uisite for the increasing numbers of people darker tone — was intended to disseminate surveillance and speed, and then sets about working under precarious conditions. Does pressive conditions become conformists — by in their work and wit. To write the history of wit ought to find itself perpetually at odds all is at Ground Zero, where the squabbling working under precarious conditions. Does information from satellite observation of the trying to realize it.” (AK) pragmatism as proposed in the philosophy default rather than conviction, it’s true, but this antagonism is to support those who have with the order of ordinary ways and con- among constituents and stakeholders, as well pragmatism as proposed in the philosophy earth to the public in order to “show the of William James cease to be a creative act the result is the same. The tacit acceptance taken sides with the philosophy and against ventional procedures. The apparently good- as the usual big-city incompetence, even be- of William James cease to be a creative act public what endangers it, be that pollution, — an act of freedom — when precarious liv- that we simply grin and bear the lives we the ideology. mannered mode of “quiet conversation,” for fore the financial meltdown, has kept the hole — an act of freedom — when precarious liv- soil exhaustion, mineral depletion, climac- ing conditions leave you with simply no other lead, that radical change is not an option, example, may well still be the perfect medium ing conditions leave you with simply no other a hole for years. Now it’s hard to imagine a tic changes, or hostile military preparations. choice? How do you set the emancipatory affords pragmatism a fatalist tinge. Tradi- Against this backdrop, the optimistic prac- for negotiating pragmatic solutions to con- way out of it. (NP) choice? How do you set the emancipatory Space Force exposes the public safety dan- spirit of pragmatism apart from the ideo- tionally this fatalism is expressed, compen- tice of “good manners” amounts to a similar tingent problems, but we should be careful The New Yorker spirit of pragmatism apart from the ideo- From , December 8, 2008 gers to public view, with state-of-art advances logical farce that the “Can-Do” imperative sated, and cloaked by jovial irony, as per defiance of both the backslapping pragma- to dissociate this ideal from a conservative logical farce that the “Can-Do” imperative in video and film, in photography and televi- makes of it? How can you re-animate its in- the British stereotype: Carry on Seargant, tism of the Carry-Ons and the coercive no- nostalgia for gentlemanly customs. makes of it? How can you re-animate its in- sion, most dramatically and most instanta- herent humor and wisdom? Its soul? Teacher, Constable, Nurse, Doctor, England holds-barred pragmatism of the Can-Dos. “You’ll know him when you see him; don’t IN BRIEF IN BRIEF herent humor and wisdom? Its soul? neously on television.” It’s a question of intention: how to ap- . . . Don’t make a fuss! Carry on regardless! Good manners demonstrate a degree of con- worry about that.” Creeping Jesus, I thought. Size-wise, theSize-wise, largest newspaper the largest published newspaper in published in It’s a question of intention: how to ap- The extension of Ocean Earth’s ventures proach a given situation? The political, emo- A pragmatism that might defy this fatal- sideration, a refusal to simply accept the rules That screws the press credentials. I had a vi- New York StateNew was York an issue State of wasThe an Constel- issue of The Constel- proach a given situation? The political, emo- into mass media reflects Fend’s belief that tional, and artistic prudence of pragmatism ist bias would have to wed its responsive- of an imposed, false game, instead insisting sion of some nerve-rattling geek all covered lation, issuedlation in New, issued York in City New on York July City 4, on July 4, tional, and artistic prudence of pragmatism “media is essentially territorial,” and there- resides in the realization that the specific con- ness with a spirit of non-reconciliation. This on the time, right, and freedom to consider with matted hair and string-warts showing up 1859. The press,1859. designed The press, to accommodate designed to accommodate resides in the realization that the specific con- fore an aspect of architecture. In the 1980s, text of the situation in which one does or stance would invoke discontent as a moti- one’s terms of engagement in a given situa- in the press office and demanding Scanlan’s the single sheetthe opening single sheet to 100 opening× 70 inches, to 100 × 70 inches, text of the situation in which one does or using publicly-available satellite imagery cap- says something will determine the meaning vating force (rather than a side effect in the tion. This is crucial, because neither of the press packet. Well what the hell? We could broke down duringbroke thedown first during print the run. first print run. says something will determine the meaning tured by Landsat, a U.S. civilian satellite, and effect of one’s actions and words. Prag- form of the begrudging and complaining that two ideological versions of pragmatism grant always load up on acid and spend the day and effect of one’s actions and words. Prag- members of Ocean Earth worked with NASA matism is defined by the capacity to grasp typically accompanies “making do”). In this anyone this time, right, and freedom. Both roaming around the clubhouse grounds with matism is defined by the capacity to grasp experts to analyze these images and thus pro- that context and react honestly to the spe- spirit, the pragmatist engages with the given construe a scenario of economic pressure (the big sketch pads, laughing hysterically at the that context and react honestly to the spe- duce commercially-viable information which cific challenges that it presents. Witty prag- not on the premise that “the given” is all phantom threat of eternal postwar scarcity, natives and swilling mint juleps so the cops The second First/Last Newspaper was as- cific challenges that it presents. Witty prag- they then sold to major news organizations, matism is the art of responsive and respon- there is to life, but with an awareness that or the bottomless fear of precarious futures) wouldn’t think we’re abnormal. Perhaps even sembled by D XTER SINISTER with contri- matism is the art of responsive and respon- E including NBC and the BBC. Although the sible reactions. things could be otherwise. When facing spe- in which taking time to consider terms seems make the act pay; set up an easel with a big butions by Steve Rushton, Angie Keefer, Rob sible reactions. civilian satellite images were of inferior res- In the air-conditioned lounge I met a man cific problems, the possibility of radical dif- out of the question; only immediate action sign saying, “Let a Foreign Artist Paint Your Giampietro, Will Holder, Francis McKee, Pe- In the air-conditioned lounge I met a man olution to more sophisticated military satel- from Houston who said his name was some- ference remains in view. appears appropriate. Doesn’t an insistence Portrait, $10 Each. Do It NOW!” ter Fischli & David Weiss, Ryan Gander, Jan from Houston who said his name was some- lites, weather permitting, Ocean Earth could thing or other — “but just call me Jimbo” “What’s wrong with you, boy?”He grinned on good manners, then, effectively contest The traditional site for quiet conversa- Verwoert, Nick Paumgarten, Snowden Snow- thing or other — “but just call me Jimbo” see enough to identify air bases and troop — and he was here to get it on. “I’m ready and winked at the bartender. economic pressure as the ultima ratio, the tions about important decisions is the draw- den, and Jason Fulford. Produced under the — and he was here to get it on. “I’m ready movements in hot spots of conflict, including for anything, by God! Anything at all. Yeah, Often it is precisely an underlying sense gold standard, in relation to which every- ing room, to which powerful upper class men umbrella of PERFORMA 09 and presented for anything, by God! Anything at all. Yeah, Libya and the Falklands. In the context of what are you drinkin’?” of irreverence that allows people to act in a thing else must be measured and justified? withdraw (after dinner) to do politics and in partnership with Times Square Alliance. what are you drinkin’?” the Cold War, the market for images of war But what if that situation is rigidly gov- situation at all, simply because this irrever- But what the hell? Anybody who wanders business, in private, excluding women specif- Edited in cooperation with Defne Ayas and But what if that situation is rigidly gov- zones was greater than that for prospective erned by questionable or intolerable laws? In ance loosens the grip of the rules established around the world saying, “Hell yes, I’m from ically, and the public generally. In order to Virginie Bobin. erned by questionable or intolerable laws? In project sites related to conservation, ecology this case any response that is practically pos- in that context. Is that not the originary re- Texas,” deserves whatever happens to him. disavow this dubious legacy, then, quietly spo- this case any response that is practically pos- and land use. sible within the given situation will abide by bellious spirit of pragmatism? Its disregard And he had, after all, come here once again ken gonzo pragmatists may have to radically Masthead set in Strike Alphabet courtesy sible within the given situation will abide by By the end of the 1980s, most of Ocean those laws and therefore confirm them. Prag- for the rules, laws, traditions — “truths” — to make a nineteenth-century ass of himself resituate the quiet conversation outside the Shannon Ebner. those laws and therefore confirm them. Prag- Earth’s founders and early collaborators, in- matists who content themselves by “work- that impose standards of what de iure, by the in the midst of some jaded, atavistic freakout drawing room, in noisy places, central loca- matists who content themselves by “work- cluding artists Dennis Oppenheim, Paul Shar- ing with whatever possibilities” under op- book, cannot be done (when, as the prag- with nothing to recommend it except a very tions, right where problems present them- Performa, a non-profit multidisciplinary arts ing with whatever possibilities” under op- its, Wolfgang Staehle, Kirsten Mosher, and pressive conditions become conformists — by matic person will de facto demonstrate, of saleable “tradition.” selves and where participation is not just pos- organization established by RoseLee Gold- pressive conditions become conformists — by Taro Suzuki had moved onto other pursuits. default rather than conviction, it’s true, but course it can)? This critical edge is what can This insistence is inherently anti-econom- sible but inevitable, simply because people berg in 2004, is dedicated to exploring the default rather than conviction, it’s true, but Meanwhile, Ocean Earth renewed its energy- the result is the same. The tacit acceptance enable pragmatism to cut through the Gor- ical. In a scenario of all-out economic pres- are all around, passing by. Following this critical role of live performance in the his- the result is the same. The tacit acceptance focused work. In 1994, a proposal to be- that we simply grin and bear the lives we dian knots created by false beliefs. When it sure, ruled by deadlines, time spent consid- thought to its illogical conclusion, then, it tory of twentieth century art and to encour- that we simply grin and bear the lives we gin methane production from algae extrac- lead, that radical change is not an option, casts “the given” in a different light and dis- ering the preliminaries of how to engage will would be most appropriate for the negotia- aging new directions in performance for the lead, that radical change is not an option, tion and fermentation in Wellington, New affords pragmatism a fatalist tinge. Tradi- pels imaginary constraints, pragmatism en- always seem like wasted time, or at least time tions between gonzo pragmatists to take place twenty-first century. affords pragmatism a fatalist tinge. Tradi- Zealand, which had been many years in de- tionally this fatalism is expressed, compen- ables people to act, causing small insurgences. that noone can afford. To take that time — in loud, populated places, where they are tionally this fatalism is expressed, compen- velopment, fell through. Subsequently, Heidi sated, and cloaked by jovial irony, as per Irreverence makes pragmatism a liberatory indeed to show that it even exists — in a cul- absurdly inappropriate. Given that all the sated, and cloaked by jovial irony, as per Mardon, a New Zealander who had been a the British stereotype: Carry on Seargant, force. ture governed by the economic imperative, inevitable noise and interruption will make the British stereotype: Carry on Seargant, spearhead in the Wellington project, turned Teacher, Constable, Nurse, Doctor, England “Who you work for?” I stared at him makes good manners the closest you might staying focused on any conversation all but Teacher, Constable, Nurse, Doctor, England to the public school system, becoming direc- again. “Don’t you read the newspapers?” get to civil disobedience. impossible, what else could it be? Nothing tor of a program called Enviroschools, with No matter how emancipatory it sounds, The danger of embracing “good manners”, less than a mockery of the idea that there a pilot group of three schools. From this this proposal still has a peculiar ring to it. however, is its tacit espousal of conservatism. was ever a “proper” way — by the book — beginning, in 1999, Enviroschools has grown Ryan Gander, Banner for Europe, 1999. A banner on the building site for the commonwealth After all, any self-help book or motivational It certainly doesn’t sound like civil disobedi- of handling such situations. (JV) over the past ten years to enroll 213,000 stu- games swimming pool, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK. trainer will also aim to teach you techniques ence. It seems crucial again, therefore, to dents today — roughly 5% of the entire New to dispel imaginary constraints . . . but only switch tracks and re-emphasize the irrever- Zealand population. to turn you into a happier, healthier, more ent wit at the heart of pragmatic philosophy. productive slave to a competitive work cul- (And to note that the ability to maintain a ture that, deregulated as it is, knows neither constant awareness and balance of the two rules nor impossibilities anyway. In which — the good-mannered and the irreverant — case to “take it and run” may just be down- seems to be what we’re after here.) Let’s right reckless. take another example. So, while the contrarian kernel of pragma- Conducting pragmatic negotiations in dif- tism needs to be disassociated from the fatal- ficult situations usually requires one to act ist Carry On Conformism that it is tradition- as a (good-mannered) moderator in order to ally prone to collapse into, it equally has to make people talk and listen to each other. be set apart from its current conflation with However, this doesn’t mean that a pragmatic the Can-Do culture of compulsive buoyancy style of engagement is moderate by defini- and reckless competitiveness. If these two tion. On the contrary, in a situation where mutations of pragmatism seem like carica- there appears to be no possibility of discus- tures of postwar British- and contemporary sion, to politely, categorically insist on dis- U.S.-American culture, that’s because these cussing possibilites nonetheless implies an ir- two countries have historically been the van- reverent disregard for how the situation is guards of both formulating pragmatism as a being portrayed — and that can hardly be philosophy and implementing it as an ideol- called moderate. When there is no proper ogy. way to solve a problem, because how that I leaned closer to him, half-whispering: “proper” is construed by the book is part of “Look . . . how would you like a job?” He the problem, the pragmatic way to sidestep backed off quickly. “What? Come on, now. the whole scenario must seem improper. Acts What kind of a job?” “Never mind,” I said. that testify to pragmatic philosophical wit “You just blew it.” will therefore always have something improper But this conversion is not conclusive; the and immoderate about them. To recoup the relation between the originary philosophy and philosophy from the ideology, then, means its ideological version is an ongoing struggle embracing the immoderate consideratedness carried out in the arena of everyday culture, of an irreverent, improper, gonzo pragma- politics, and ethics. As such, it seems im- tism. portant to highlight instances of people who This gonzo pragmatism, alive and criti- perform the adversary ethos of pragmatism cal with its irreverent, improper, immoderate in their work and wit. To write the history of this antagonism is to support those who have taken sides with the philosophy and against the ideology.