Henriette Heise, Jakob Jakobsen and N55
are working towards greater clarity.
WHY SHALL WE WORK?
Almost all of our thinking and behaviour is characterized by
what one rightfully might call CUSTOMARY IDIOTIC CONCEPTIONS.
These habitual conceptions keep us from looking the most obvious
facts in the eye and from understanding even the most fundamental
conditions for talking to each other at all, for example that
we cannot talk about persons without knowing that by persons
we understand something which have rights and that the fundamental
purpose of politics is to protect the rights of persons. In this
way we cut ourselves completely off from having influence on
the situation in which we find ourselves. When we rely on habitual
conceptions WE DO AS ONE USUALLY DOES. We do not necessarily
do what we want to do or what we know is right to do, we do as
we are used to do or as social conventions determine that we
should do. The terrible thing is that by definition we are so
used to habitual conceptions that we cannot see them. THE CONSEQUENCE
OF OUR BELIEF IN HABITUAL CONCEPTIONS IS THAT PERSONS ARE CUT
OFF FROM KNOWLEDGE OF WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO AND FOR WHOM OR WHAT
WE DO IT. We believe that reason and habitual conceptions are
identical. We believe that we are rational beings that act rationally.
Still we permit concentrations of power to characterize our society.
We attend to our work because we have learned to attend to our
work. We concentrate on participating in the competition for
a social position and thus we let concentrations of power dominate
our consciousness and be decisive for our situations. WE ARE
AFRAID OF LOSING IF WE DO NOT DO AS ONE IS SUPPOSED TO DO, even
though the consequence is that the significance of our fellow
human beings diminishes, and our own significance becomes the
significance we have for concentrations of power, the growth
of concentrations of power and the conflicts of concentrations
of power
One habitual conception is that one respects persons by failing
to draw their attention to the fact that what they are doing
is wrong. IT IS CLEAR THAT IT IS IDIOTIC TO ACCEPT THIS SITUATION.
IT IS OBVIOUS THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO FIRST AND FOREMOST TRY
TO ORGANIZE IN AS SMALL CONCENTRATIONS OF POWER AS POSSIBLE.
STILL WE DO NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO
BELIEVING THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO DO ABOUT IT
We call those persons IDEALISTS who say that it is possible to
do something about it, because we are used to identifying change
with unreal and idiotic ideologies. We call them idealists although
it is really idealistic to imagine that persons who decide to
do something in particular, have no possibility whatsoever of
going through with anything
THE THOUGHT THAT WE CAN CHANGE THINGS OURSELVES DOES NOT AT ALL
OCCUR TO US. That only our own idiotic conceptions that the world
can not be different keep us from trying to change the world
to the better. IN OTHER WORDS: IT IS WE OURSELVES WHO KEEP US
FROM WORKING AT CHANGING THE SITUATION, INSTEAD OF CONTINUING
TO WORK AT PERMITTING CONCENTRATIONS OF POWER TO CHARACTERIZE
OUR DAILY EXISTENCE. IF WE DO NOT KNOW THAT THE SITUATION CAN
BE DIFFERENT THEN WE CAN NOT CHANGE THE SITUATION
If by chance we should come across an habitual conception we
are used to believing that this is something we ourselves are
not suffering from. It is always something that others are suffering
from, we being rational beings whose actions are governed by
reason. We believe this although there is no sign of reason being
a factor worth mentioning in relation to our actions. It is possible
for us to find this text interesting, and at the same time be
completely convinced that it is not about us. It is impossible
for us to understand that what is printed here is simply right.
Facts and logical relations are not real to us, because we are
used to believing that there exists no objective knowledge of
right and wrong. We for example believe that persons have rights
because we have agreed on this, and that politics is something
that can be safely left to politicians and their parties to take
care of.
WE ARE SIMULATING CONSCIOUSNESS OF OUR SITUATION, ALTHOUGH IT
IS OBVIOUS FOR A CHILD THAT WE ARE ONLY DOING AS WE ARE USUALLY
DOING. Some even think that they can manage by using irony or
making fun
If one lets oneself be governed by habitual conceptions, subjective
opinions and social conventions exclusively and not by facts
and logical relations, one cannot change anything at all
IF WE WORK FOR THE SUSTENANCE OF OUR DAILY LIFE AND AT THE SAME
TIME ARE CONSCIOUS OF AND WORK FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS
OF PERSONS, WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF CREATING A BETTER WORLD.
Ion Sørvin, Rikke Luther, Ingvil Aarbakke.
*
Noter vedr. bioteknik
1. Menneskene har til alle tider behersket naturen, og naturen
har til alle tider behersket menneskene. De tidligste processer,
som menneskene beherskede, og som kan betegnes som kemiske, var
enten simple reaktioner, der var opdaget ved tilfældighed,
eller mere komplicerede processer, der var udviklet trin for
trin over længere tid med hvert trin resulterende i noget
brugbart eller dekorativt. Dog bliver disse processer først
egentligt kemiske i 1800-tallet, idet de på den tid bliver
kortlagt gennem den naturvidenskabelige abstraktion. Indtil da
var disse processer blot praktiske, og viden om arbejdsgangen
fandtes i de enkelte husholdninger, blandt håndværkere,
blandt gejstlige eller andre indviede. Menneskene har helt fra
begyndelsen af historisk tid, og antageligt længe inden,
fremstillet pigmenter, tøjfarve, parfume, kosmetik samt
vin og øl.
2. Mikroskopiske organismer spiller en afgørende rolle
i naturens kredsløb, som omdannere og nedbrydere af dødt
organisk materiale. Mange mikroorganismer kan af mennesket tillige
benyttes ved fremstilling af fødevarer, nydelsesmidler
og andre brugbare eller dekorative produkter. Da frugter, saft,
mælk og de fleste organiske væsker gærer af
sig selv, idet de naturligt indeholder gærceller, blev
en række gærede drikkevarer og mejeriprodukter opdaget
og deres fremstilling behersket meget tidligt i menneskets historie.
Øl fremstilles rent faktisk gennem dyrkning af mikroskopiske
gærceller næret ved sukker, som for eksempel findes
i korn. Gæringen foregår ved at gærcellerne
frigør energi, idet de omsætter og nedbryder sukkermolekylerne.
Gærcellerne dækker derigennem deres energibehov,
og sikrer derved deres overlevelse og reproduktion. Selve gæringen
er mikroorganismernes stofskifte, og færdigbrygget øl
indeholder deres affaldsprodukt: alkohol. Ved indtagelse påvirker
alkohol menneskets nervesystem. 1-2 promille alkohol i blodet
virker opløftende, 2-4 promille betyder for de fleste
vrøvlende og slingrende fuldskab. Mellem 4-5 promille
vil de fleste miste bevidstheden, og stiger promillen yderligere,
vil åndedræts- og kredsløbscentrene i hjernen
lammes, og døden vil indtræde
3. Allerede den ordning af verden, der får sit nedslag
i sprogene, og som hviler på abstraktion af mange forhold
og udsondring af ting fra et vidt spredt kaos, var et forsøg
på og forudsætningen for at beherske og ordne naturen.
Sprogene kan betragtes som former for rudimentære redskaber.
Vores forfædre tiltog sig opret stilling for mindst 4 millioner
år siden. Det var længe før der skete nogen
substantiel vækst af hjernestørrelsen, og længe
før der forekom nogen form for verbalt sprog. Disse forfædre
havde hjerne i abestørrelse, omkring en tredjedel af det
moderne menneskes hjernestørrelse. I den følgende
periode, Homo erectus' periode, var hjernens størrelse
fordoblet. Trods dette forblev Homo erectus' redskaber teknisk
set uopfindsomme. Deres mest avancerede redskab var håndøksen,
formet af en enkelt sten og bearbejdet på begge sider.
Den er dog mere udviklet end noget redskab, chimpanserne nogensinde
har benyttet. Nogle vilde chimpanser bruger hammersten, og chimpanser
i fangenskab kan trænes til at fremstille og benytte primitive
flintøkser. Kun efter evolutionen af den tidligste Homo
sapiens for omkring 250.000 år siden er der tegn på
en smule mere avanceret fremstilling af redskaber og variation
af redskabstyper. Stort set forblev redskaberne og deres materialer
primitive, selv efter fremkomsten af det moderne, storhjernede
menneske for omkring 100.000 år siden. Det store gennembrud
i teknologisk udvikling forekommer for relativt nylig, for omkring
40.000 år siden, antageligt i og med udviklingen af sprog.
Hvis sproget, som den praktiske bevidsthed, er forudsætningen
for mere sammensat og avanceret teknik, er for eksempel den teknik,
der anvendes ved ølbrygning, udover at være en biokemisk
proces, en social aktivitet, udsprunget af en eller anden form
for sproglig ordning.
4. Naturlige processer videreføres og integreres i abstrakte
processer. Det abstrakte sprog som menneskene benytter sig af,
blandes med de processer det beskriver, og stumper af ligninger
organiserer sig i og omkring materialet. Som regel dækkes
materialet fuldstændigt af forskellige sprogsystemer. Der
opstår med tiden en art lagdeling, hvor nye lag af materiale
og gammelt sprog bliver presset sammen, forskubbet og foldet
som geologiske formationer. Naturalisering af meget gamle kulturfænomener
finder sted i og med at sproget som omgiver dem, eller er vævet
ind i dem, eroderer og falder til bunds som grusagtigt bundfald.
I forbindelse med mange modernistiske højhusbygninger
rådner betonen med tiden sammen med de omgivende idé-
og sprogsystemer, som var forudsætningen for husenes formgivning.
Konstruktionerne fremstår efterhånden som ren natur,
da de abstrakte systemer langsomt falder bort sammen med stumper
af betonen, og ingen kræfter synes interesseret i at opretholde
det abstrakte materiale i konstruktionerne. Tilsvarende beskrives
den Anden Verdenskrig til tider som en naturkatastrofe, til andre
tider fremstår den som resultatet af en række komplicerede
historiske og sociale forhold.
5. Lad os antage at kunstbegrebet kan udvides til at omfatte
hele spekteret af menneskefremstillede ting inklusive alle redskaber,
alle menneskefremkaldte kemiske og fysiske processer og alle
tekster. Dette perspektiv bringer brugbare, dekorative, poetiske
og destruktive ting sammen med senmoderne institutionel kunst
i samme sociale og historiske felt. Det, at verdenen af menneskefremstillede
ting bliver en del af kunstens historie, er mindre interessant;
det bemærkelsesværdige er, at denne anskuelse gør
Bayers industriområde i Leverkusen og Vestforbrændingen
i Albertslund til mægtige installationer på linie
med Robert Smithsons Spiralmole i Utah og Arne Jacobsens SAS
Royal Hotel i København. Dog skal man ikke se bort fra,
at disse fænomener er blevet til og eksisterer i forskellige
sociale og historiske rum, imellem hvilke der er kritiske spring
og brud. Pulveragtig konceptualisme spredes over et plateau af
nordisk folkekunst. Industrielt forarbejdede tidlige modernistiske
møbler opløses i en væske af senmodernistisk
puritanisme og danner klumper af seriefremstillede rækkehuse
i beton. En ørken af malerier ligger hen. Tekster omdannes.
Ellers stabile kunstværker opløses i sociale, sproglige
og fysiske strukturer; nogle viser sig at være funktionelle
i visse sammenhænge; andre bryder sammen under presset
og eroderer. Konstruktive processer opstår
Jakob Jakobsen 1997
*
How can the concept of alienation look like in a time when work
as an activity is undergoing changes, does it demand a reformulation?
Must we not reformulate alienation in order to make ourselves
conscious about the problem? Shall we perhaps accept that the
concept is connected to daily situations or situations on the
whole. How every situation could be assumed to have a surplus
value but if one doesn't use it, alienation could become a fixed
state. By making ourselves aware of how the surplus value is
permanently present in the micro situations, alienation as a
fixed state could be avoided and situations in our everyday life
should instead become transformative.
reflection:
Alienation as a fixed state. Maybe alienation is in the fundamental
social activity, where it in micro relations and everyday situations
sneaks into situations and thereby affects. How there is surplus
value in everyday life situations but by habitual behavioural
pattern it is not utilized.
Cecilia Wendt
*
Tunnel Vision
The entrance is about 2 square metres. Beside the entrance door
there are 2 doors leading further into the flat. On the right
of the entrance door there is a built-in cupboard. A tv is placed
on the top of the cupboard, just below the ceiling. When you
pass through the door on the left, you enter an approx. quadratic
white room. Confronting the doorway there is a wall with 3 windows
facing the street. The walls on the left and on the right are
both plain white walls. The floor is made of broad wooden boards.
A bench is placed across the room parallel to the windows. The
bench is a simple construction without a back. It runs between
the 2 plain white walls. Sitting on the bench, looking towards
the entrance, you can watch a video on the tv on the built-in
cupboard. The video shows a tv being assembled.
The recording of the video was carefully planned. I bought a
used black and white tv at a street market. I borrowed a video
camera and a soldering iron. Then I considered my further need
for tools and bought a small pair of pliers. I placed a table
in my study, in the area with the most of the daylight. I put
the tv and and the tools on the table. Then I turned on the video
camera and sat down in front of the table. It took about 50 minutes
to take the tv apart. I made a backup copy of the recording and
mailed the original tape. A week later I received another tape
by mail. A special video machine had now reversed my original
recording.
It is the second time I construct a bench for an exhibition.
This time I have recycled the wood from the first bench and added
some extra boards. The construction is dependent of the bench
stretching between two walls. For that reason, the bench is 5
metres long, as the room is 5 metres wide. For the support of
the seat I have put together 6 quadratic modules. They are made
of standard laths cut in lenghts of 40 centimetres and assembled
with glue and nails. The modules are placed on the floor and
spaced 1 metre apart. The seat is made of 3 parallel boards of
pinewood. Each board is approx. 10 centimetres broad and nailed
to the modules. After the bench was finished I smoothed the rough
pinewood with sandpaper. Finally I removed the dust from the
bench
Henriette Heise 1997