<nettime-ann> Eminent Domain : Call for Project Proposals

[Oliver Luker <dispatx@gmail.com>]

.
In old English law, eminent domain refers to the power of the state to 
take private property without the owner’s consent. Since the mid-19th 
century it has been employed as part of large-scale development 
projects and urban renewal – controversial practices that can be 
extremely destructive for local communities. The policy is often 
implemented when there is a perceived obstruction blocking the progress 
of a particular project and powers of override must force its 
conclusion.

In investigating this theme we call for artists to recast the concept 
of eminent domain in the context of creative work. Here it becomes 
similar to recourse – in the face of blockade, alternative and often 
radical tactics may be resorted to in order for an idea to move 
forward. At a point of critical mass existing systems begin to fail, 
invoking a form of negation and opening up a space of uncertainty. This 
uncertainty may force a radical reformulation of a work at a crucial 
moment of its incompletion and potential.

The concept of regeneration is helpful in investigating this theme with 
regard to process revision and its relation to the creative method. 
Literally beginning again, regeneration suggests a recursive, 
self-referential procedure. It also indicates different approaches to 
revision: on one hand there can be subtle, incremental modifications of 
existing structures, systematically inching toward a result. On the 
other there can be a Kuhnian paradigm shift – a more radical action 
that can demand a clean slate from which to begin from scratch.

The interplay of these strategies and the conditions that formulate 
them are fascinating areas of exploration. To what extent are points of 
resistance and conflict essential for shaping creative decisions? Are 
great ideas born of frustration or along paths of least resistance? 
What kind of space does this recourse open up?

In this context, the theme of eminent domain speaks not only to literal 
interpretations concerning revised landscapes, power relationships and 
innovation from decay, but also to a broader theoretical reading about 
the space opened up by an enforced change of approach. The use of these 
concepts, either as the subject of investigation or as a guide to 
process and methodology, will result in a fascinatingly diverse group 
of projects for the next edition of Dispatx.

For more information on how to submit, please click here : 
http://dispatx.com/wip/index.php?cat=3&more=1&idiom=en

Dates :

Final date for sending project proposals : 16 December 2006

Publication of collaborative project proposals : 15 January 2007

Details :

Dispatx (www.dispatx.com) provides the tools of a socialised internet 
for the development, organisation and presentation of contemporary art 
and literature.
_______________________________________________
nettime-ann mailing list
nettime-ann@nettime.org
http://www.nettime.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/nettime-ann