GO & SEE

The ‘Go & See’ Project is planned within the framework of the ‘Close-up discussion project as a vehicle to promote alternative presentations and debates and in this way fit in a niche, left vacant by institutionalized discussions that have similar focus of dispute. Introducing a wide variety of topics, this project will trace out the dynamics between the visual, the political and the conceptual.
Analyzing the visual, the conceptual and the political through different perspectives will allow to outline essential modes of functioning of the social and the cultural domains, as well as to map out the roles and interaction among the groups, the communities and the individuals in them.

It is obvious, from the point of modern art development, that the visual can hardly be regarded as existing on its own right: by default the visual contains and is an expression of the conceptual and the political. The conceptual, on the other hand, either as a position or as a pattern of behavior, has its visual dimensions and political connotations. Last, but not least, the political exploits both the visual and the conceptual to attain its goals and express its ideas. Following this train of thoughts, the developments of the visual will be important to modern political figures, political scientists, social students, philosophers, cultural anthropologists and journalists, as well as to …artists of course. Presenting the different dimensions of the interrelations among the visual, the conceptual and the political to a wide public, sharing no particular expertise will give the chance to students and young people to get directly involved, share their opinions, considerations and voice their questions.

In its essence, the format of a discussion club is meant to provide informal public space open for informal discourse, in its essense dismisses the official conservative register and the rigid distance that the presence of ‘authority’ imposes to set the public and the presenters apart. This format supports the free individual expression in public, the choice to motivate individual opinions and considerations, regardless of the lack or the availability of expertise on the topic of discussion. The format of a discussion club as a public space open for informal discourse allows for cultivating active civic participation, which the authors of this project consider to be a major attribute of the civil society and a guarantee for its sustainable development.

Go & See’ Project
Project description

This project builds upon the format of the ‘Close-up’ discussion club, where discussions are held weekly and are open to participants of various interests and backgrounds.

The ‘Close-up’ discussion club provides an informal public space for presenting and debating topics, ideas and projects in the field of art, culture, new media and politics.

The ‘Go & See’ discussion series aim at streamlining and improving efficient communication through introducing thematic clusters and debating over current issues related to the specific ways in which informal and marginalized communities exploit the visual, the conceptual and the political.

As the project unfolds it will research the articulate and independent social domains, practices, patterns of behaviour and the ways they interact with one another. This ‘research’ is carried out from the point of view of the curious researcher, who without the opportunity to be omnipresent in all social domains is still interested in the common structuring principles behind them. The introduction to different social domains happens through presentations, which are made by active participants in these domains. The discussion moderation facilitates the discussion with a view to the particular topic and the unfolding group dynamics.

The following thematic clusters will be exploited through the duration of this project.

1. The VISUAL: concepts and politics
– Non-commercial comic books: How to Read them?
Presented by Stanislav Iliev and the team of comix.cult.bg

– “Close up” Discussion Club presents the International competition for realistic painting”Balkan Artists 2004″- its concept, participants, nominated and awarded artists.

-“independent culture!? what’s this? presentation of eskimo.org

– “Vulnerability – five movements”

– Street Media – Non-commercial media & Mass Culture – Graffiti, Sub-culture and Kitsch – Importing Sub-cultures
Presented by Georgi Lilov, New Bulgarian University

– Underground, Music & Graffiti
Presented by the team of tru-undergound.org

– Freecards? The Practices of fame.bg
Presented by the team of fame.bg

– Stickers & Fliers: Directions for Use – Anti-ads – The practices of Adbusters, USA
Presented by ……………………….

2. The CONCEPTUAL: visuals and politics
– Alternative TV Networks: independent and public TV in Holland, Germany, Austria & the Netherlands
Presented by Ventsislav Zankov, Panelists: Milen Tsvetkov, Ivan Garelov
– High Tech Media – Savoring the Public Domain – Public v/s Private in the Web – Socialism? I have been there
Presented by Georgi Gospodinov, Diana Ivanova and team
– High Tech Ethics – E-forums, E-registers, Sharing the Web – Experiment.org & Alternative Culture Sites
Presented by Raina Markova & Alek Popov
– High Tech & (new) Culture
Presented by Boris Kostadinov, Editor INTRO Magazine

3. The POLITICAL: concepts and visuals
– Indymedia and the Promises of New Technologies – Political identity in the Web – The message & the Web – New Technologies # new message?
Presented by the team of Indymedia
– Formatting Europe – the Long Winding Road from Radio ‘Free Europe’ to Radio ‘New Europe’
Presented by the team of Radio ‘New Europe’

4. The Visual, the Conceptual , the Political … Modus Operandi
– Gay communities – Tolerance & affirmative Action – The Stereotypes of Tolerance
Presented by the GEMINI Gay Organisation
– Diversity Revisited – AIDS and the Deficiencies in Communication – the HIV Stigma

Presented by …………………
– Guilt as Legitimate Fear – Communication Shutdown
Presented by ‘Plus Minus’ Foundation, ‘Hope v/s AIDS’ Foundation and other organisations representing HIS positive persons

http://zetmag.org/na_tjasno/