April update
Here are some notes from a conversation last week with Mark, Sophie, Rich, Kim and Tim by which Mark attempts to summarise burning questions and next steps - anything to add?
Status:
Great meeting held in Chch and some great connections made with financial, architecture and wifi people. Conversation goes onto Loomio - there are some ongoing threads that are keeping momentum going.
Letting Space will hear from Creative NZ funding mid May towards late October presentation (not entirely held to October but seems like good time prior to Christmas). Commitment made and sought by MA and SJ to smaller alternative steps of workshops if CNZ as core artists development funds not available. KP confirms should have Wintec backing for her work. Tim notes dependence on funding particularly given other projects investing in closer to home (please correct if I have this wrong Tim!).
Report on Chch meeting
See separate notes here. A community of practitioners to lock into to create transactional based works. Physics Room keen to continue to support (as is Ministry of Awesome).
Strong interest on projects ability to not just be earthquake focussed - dealing with issues relevant to everyone as key needs.
Rather than 'helping' Chch - TEZA looks to Chch as a place providing new possible ways forward of doing things. TEZA looks to harness these and push them within a wider context.
Mapping
Strong need being felt for the outside perspective that allows for a mapping of what's currently going on or may be developing. Where do new outsider artist projects fit alongside this?
Location
Where or how is TEZA located? How important is physical space given the transitional nature of the projects, the digital platform, and the glut late 2013 of other cultural projects whose focus is on central spaces and transitional architecture?
Could it be mobile - around several sites?
Is it more powerful for being centred in Aranui or elsewhere off centre in a transitionary space - SJ/MA outline research in this area? And potential strip mall on main road out and river, to become a park (identified from meeting with Life in Vacant Spaces).
The importance of the physical is the gathering place - the light poi etc.? The gathering together in one place of many projects and communities. A talking point. Or is the lo-fi version simply a community centre or outdoor pavilion under a marquee etc.
ACTION: TB to continue to lead development. MA/SJ to continue to discuss sites band
How is the bicultural kaupapa being genuinely realised? Currently hanging offside!
ACTION: SJ to bring Te Urutahi up to speed and discuss commitment/ role/ complications. MA/SJ to discuss kappa with Nathan Pohio and potentials for development of manuhiri/tangata whenua framework.
How is TEZA best described?
People have difficulty describing it - there are a whole range of exciting strands that build it, but how to encapsulate them.
KP put it: It's about a showcase for projects that explore alternative forms of exchange.
Not just about economics? As discussed at Physics Room lecture in essence everything can be tied back into this when dealing with works of value exchange. But it still confuses people - this means the one liner descriptor under it has to be counter its fuzziness with something far clearer and easy to relate.
Does this difficulty signal wider issues with the vagueness of TEZA, or just that we're creating a brand new concept? Either way its agency will be much enhanced by a clear magnetic descriptor!
Talking about it as an antidote to the SEZ works but this requires lengthy explanation - what are the shortcuts. After all global capitalism thrives on franchising that doesn't treat community and a sense of place first. In this respect I love the strip mall context.
ACTION: work on development of more succinct encapsulation and structuring of the threads. Imagine it as an A5 pamphlet.
MA
Mark Amery Sun 28 Apr 2013 9:37PM
Thanks Richard. Something I wanted to add which escaped those notes which has been entertaining my brain for the last few days was the observation that the 'trickiness in pinning down exactly what TEZA is' maybe as much strength as weakness. There is danger in trying to define too much the undefined. TEZA should thrive on the ambiguity and complexity of trialling new modes that aren't products with quick and easy to understand catchphrases.
It is and needs to be in a sense 'porous' - penetrable, an object that is open, allowing for many passageways through, a gateway, even if we stop in it. Porous like a piece of pumice - it floats!
There is the tension as ever here with Letting Space projects of allowing this openness whilst also having a way to actually respond to people when they say 'what is it/what are you doing?!' Many has been the time in the last few years when I've tried to describe one of our projects and felt embarressed that I can't quite put it into words - I have to keep reminding myself that that is in fact part of the point - we want art to be difficult to explain and better to be experienced. Good art generally doesn't respond well to 'what is it' questions!
Richard D. Bartlett Sun 28 Apr 2013 9:51PM
Too right @markamery! Reminds me of the old complaint about Occupy: 'what are they protesting about?'
Participatory forms are resistant to succinct description.
Partly I think this is due to a lack of practice: there's a lot of ego, dominance, and pseudo-objectivity coded into our language and it takes a conscious effort to break out of it, to focus on asking questions together instead of promoting simple answers.
Richard D. Bartlett Tue 30 Apr 2013 3:23AM
@markamery I read this quote from Isadora Duncan today and thought of TEZA :)
"If I could tell you what it meant, there would be no point in dancing it."
Mark Harvey · Sun 28 Apr 2013 3:55AM
Hi, thanks heaps for the update RDB! I'm here and listening - am under the snow with things, moving our house etc etc. Thank you for all the great work so far yous! It sounds exciting so far to me.