<nettime> long war, long art, long digest [robinson x2, peraica]

["nettime's_war_weary" <nettime@bbs.thing.net>]

Re: [YASMIN-msg] War profiteers in art (Biennale di Venezia, 2007)
     "Zev Robinson" <zr@zrdesign.co.uk>
     "Zev Robinson" <zr@zrdesign.co.uk>
     Ana Peraica <ana.peraica@st.htnet.hr>

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From: "Zev Robinson" <zr@zrdesign.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [YASMIN-msg] War profiteers in art (Biennale di Venezia, 2007)
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:34:11 +0200

It's not that I necessarily disagree with a lot of what you say, Ana, but I 
do think it's a more complex issue. The media may in some senses promote 
passivism, but also encourages, in some, activism. The effect of the media 
in ending the war in Vietnam has been long commented on, and I think it has 
had a role to play in changing public opinion and increasing awareness of 
certain situations. How people react to it is another question.

Certain war photographers are activists, do what they do for strong 
convictions. Again, see the War Photographer documentary on James Natchwey, 
or read Magnum, Fifty Years in the Front line of History.

you went to Venice, as did I - that time and money could have been spent 
helping war or poverty victims in a variety of ways. did you also go to 
protest at the g8 conference?

Also, as individuals we are a mix of being passive and active, and virtually 
all of us in the developed world are overconsumers, and use our oil and 
other resources, and so we are all sponsors of crimes. None of us are 
innocent.

Best,

Zev

Zev Robinson
www.artafterscience.com
www.zrdesign.co.uk

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ana Peraica" <ana.peraica@st.htnet.hr>
To: "YASMIN-messages" <yasmin@estia.media.uoa.gr>; 
<nettime-l@bbs.thing.net>; <zr@zrdesign.co.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [YASMIN-msg] War profiteers in art (Biennale di Venezia, 2007)


> Dear Zev,
>
> The discussion can go many directions, especially those of ethics of 
> reporting, I am forwarding to you some of them from the Nettime list:
 <...>

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From: "Zev Robinson" <zr@zrdesign.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [YASMIN-msg] War profiteers in art (Biennale di Venezia, 2007)
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:34:19 +0200


Hi Ana,

If I remember correctly, that was Susan Sontag's position in On =
Photography. But it's not necessarily true, it's based on the assumption =
of a dichotomy between physically taking care of someone, and taking a =
photograph. If a war photographer wasn't taking pictures, he probably =
wouldn't be in that area at all in the first place, maybe he'd be taking =
fashion or sports photographs. And when we, who aren't photographers, =
see a homeless person, very few of us stop and ask what his needs or =
problems are and what we can do to really help. So if a war photographer =
wasn't taking photographs, the victims of war wouldn't be any better =
off. When we're writing emails, or going to art shows, or watching the =
news, we're not actually helping any victims either.

You also trivialize the impact of the photographs by saying it's for =
someone else's coffee break (or for Sontag to write a book on). Although =
that may often be the case, and certainly there's a process of becoming =
desensitised from an overexposure to images, photographs, and the media =
in general with all its faults, have an important role in our political =
and social awareness, and taken in a wider context, can and have been a =
catalyst for positive change.=20

If we didn't have Cartier-Bresson or Robert Capa or James Natchwey, or =
the BBC or CNN, or Apocalypse Now or The Thin Red Line, our awareness =
would be lessened, our culture (even more) impoverished, and those who =
commit war crimes all the happier.

Best,

Zev

Zev Robinson
www.artafterscience.com

www.zrdesign.co.uk
  I've seen photos of wounded children, you have seen them probably = too...
 <...>

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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 14:50:31 +0200
From: Ana Peraica <ana.peraica@st.htnet.hr>
Subject: Re: [YASMIN-msg] War profiteers in art (Biennale di Venezia, 2007)

Dear Zev,

I understand you think I am Spanish (there is a letter missing in 
transcription of my family name).  Actually I am Croatian and I went to 
Venice hitchhiking last time, but this time there was also a trouble for 
arriving there . http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/20070531/kultura01.asp 
(if you read Croatian) it is actual 10 years long unemployment in the 
post-war very corrupted country - so I actually know quite some on war, 
profiteerism etc... Moreover, my grand-father was a well known and 
awarded war photographer (with the letter I lost "j" in the family name) 
and I write you (at this moment) from the photo atelier.

best,

Ana

hola Ana,

perdon para escribirte off-list, pero si quieres una copia de War 
Photographer en version divx, mandame una direccion. me lo dio un amigo 
de madrid, y ha tenido mucho impacto.

Zev

> It's not that I necessarily disagree with a lot of what you say, Ana, 
> but I do think it's a more complex issue. The media may in some senses 
> promote passivism, but also encourages, in some, activism. The effect 
> of the media in ending the war in Vietnam has been long commented on, 
> and I think it has had a role to play in changing public opinion and 
> increasing awareness of certain situations. How people react to it is 
> another question.
 <...>

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