Elements of fictiality
on power and it’s future through randomised reflections
Anarchism and anti-isms are overrated: disruption of the institutions from within is bringing much more fruitful results. Ability to convey power allows one to change the way the present is narrated and the history is perceived. The reality as a function of history is a fiction moderated through the lens of the power holder.
Challenging hierarchy and concept of inheritance in modernity at least in part rooted in John Rawl’s political philosophy of randomness. If competitive advantages in the age of post-metaphysical rational secularity are merely the question of random composition of genes and circumstances, what would be the fair answer on the question about fair redistribution? Postmodern departure from grand narratives and ideas in this case makes scarce one of the most important products of social production - hope.
Capitalism does not provide the essential substitute in the form of materialism, as it was promised after the collapse of the socialist experiments. Apathy, indifference, escapism, cynicism and other traits of modern developed societies convert from being symptoms to be a part of the essential structure of society. Fear of disastrous collapse of the fragile house of cards - modern democratic and international order as a benchmark - dictate ever increasing control and censorship in the field of social sciences, leaving the space for open conversation and dialogue about ‘what’s next’ dangerously limited. Return to ‘effective methods’ of realpolitik is one of the symptoms of the crisis of reflection. Social innovation when based on fear can lead to much more terrifying outcome than the initial point of departure and crisis.
Appropriation of technology and progress, functioning as the engine of philosophic idea of development, are the driving forces behind the advancement of so-called Western civilisation. There is no viable attractive alternative yet to be offered, apart of builds up on negative by-products (some of which were mentioned before - such as apathy and lack of hope).
Can there be another social gadfly? Has post-structuralist ‘death of the author’ already extrapolated to the area of political? None of the paradigmatic shifts so far challenged the concept of elitism. Post-contemporaneity might unmask artificiality of the dichotomy between fiction and reality is one of the actual steps towards breaking the linear logic of time and space, physical and conceptual, ideal and realistic.
on gut through the medium impossible dialogue
M: It’s so weird to find ourselves in the situation of dialogue. This fictiality thing is pretty disturbing. A: Indeed an unlikely event in linear understanding of discourse. However I don’t feel very much disturbed. I guess I should thank Aristoteles for this.
M: You’ve got a kick ass tutor, no doubts about that. What should I start with? So puzzling. Well,
lets kick it off then. You were pretty young when succeeded the throne. Were you scared when you
realised your father is murdered you have to take responsibility in leadership?
A: I think I was, however the implications didn’t provide me much time to contemplate - I needed to
made political decisions quite quickly. My mother played an important role at this stage. I didn’t
value her support enough I think, but it was really her to whom I should give the credit of pushing
me towards realisation of my potential.
M: My mother passed away when I was young, but I also think her persona formed me a lot. I
actually still not at peace with a concept of her dying so abruptly, even now.
A: I understand. I had rather complicate relationships with my father, plus tension between my
parents made me much less emotionally connected to the concept of nuclear family. I was kind of
building it among my closest friends - back in my time the concept of love was much richer than in
your time now, so it actually was achievable. I think it provided me a lot of emotional stability at the
moments of crisis - a luxury that you cannot have in the situation of emotional dependency.
M: Beautifully wise. I can’t get over this need to cling on someone for some reason, although from
logical perspective completely understand your point.
A: I know what you mean. There was no stoic tradition in my lifetime. If there was, maybe we
wouldn’t have stopped hellenisation on the borders of India [laughs].
M: Were you fascinated with the drive of conquest or what fuelled your energy levels? A: Sense of discovery actually, adventurism, curiosity. I was very young, you remember?
M: Sure thing, I was good at history. Have you been afraid of time running against you? I have this fear now and constantly running from it by trying to make the most out of every single day. I am not THAT old yet, I think [laughs], however I do clearly see that I am racing against the tide that is stronger every single moment.
A: That makes you even more alive, no? I think the concept of linearity of time was and still is overrated. A graceful moment might cost 10 days of sheer boredom. Was it Oscar Wilde who said that ‘to live is the rarest thing in the world’?
M: Indeed. You quoting Wilde makes this whole situation even more surreal [laughs], I am knocked
out now.
A: To be post-contemporary means to deny the certainty of frame your trapped by the physical
conditions [smiles]. I haven’t realised that for long time as well.
M: I’ll contemplate on that. I shall finally ask you about ‘gut’ maybe? This whole thing seems
completely random now.
A: I don’t think so actually. But to come to the core - I think the key word for me will be ambition for
discovery and pushing the limits beyond the known borders. Desire to outperform anything that
had been done before me, driven by a mad cocktail of curiosity, political responsibility and strategic
inventiveness. Does anything sound familiar to you?
M: I feel you, although myself would formulate ingredients differently. It’s actually pretty funny how
‘gut’ can be ‘cooked’ out of very different recipes. Curiosity, discovery are among them for sure - however self-expression and experimentation are the fuel of it. I don’t think I could start my engines
without them [laughs].
A: Harmonious unity of contradictions on the borderline of conceptual schizophrenia.
[both laugh]
on beauty, perfection and love or ‘I never finish anyth…’
Components of contemporary masterpiece:
1. Concreteness of message open to a wide interpretation and analysis (Hieronymus Bosch, ‘The Gardens of Earthly Delights’)
2. Dichotomy of contradictory extremes (Francis Bacon)
3. Changing, contributing, altering meta-narrative of modernity (Leonardo da Vinci)
4. Aestheticisation of novelties and digging out the artistic essence in unexpected, humanising
non-artistic (Duchamp)
5. Puzzling and creating difficulties in understanding and explanation but instantly attractive
6. Challenging accepted forms and topics of representation and dissemination of the message
(Angola pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2013)
7. A unique mirror of the times that provides exceptional wide range of interpretations: from
praising to bitter criticism (Salvador Dali)
8. Going against accepted narrative, art of Hegelian anti-thesis that transforms the way people
look at things in linear perspective (Banksy)
9. Subconscious is taking over conscious, orchestrated message, even if one was in the core of
initial work - the work becomes more than it was intended to be therefore producing more
meaning and inspiration.
10. Independency of living and developing: having it’s own life.
11. It makes one uncomfortable, challenge understanding, undermine and question seemingly
‘basic’ views.
12. Wholeness and universality of the work, it’s 'totality’ (Louise Bourgious, David Altmejd)
13. Uniqueness of the medium of expression
14. Ability to generate emotional response, that surrogates (imitates) the feeling of love and
attraction.
15. Challenge to the universal frame of dimensionality.
16. (…)
…
Meta-curation is the strategy to frame anti-dogmatism and enlightenment for mindful, unscattered understanding of multi dimensional postmodernity. However it would be a pleasant surprise to find out that the chemistry of love or in more unfortunate for the protagonist part it’s surrogate is the main driver of structural shifts in social history. Rational and irrational coexist beyond the space of conflict: interstellar travels break through the very idea of dimensionality. Did Freud really won over Jung?
But in any case - never give a sword to a man who cannot dance.