fluXus publications eXchange

[vittore baroni]

Since this Ning site has been created to "help fluXus artists to get to know each other", I propose an eXchange of fluXus related publications, to be carried out through the traditional (snail) mail system: holding the "real thing" in your hands is a different kind of eXperience!
For eXample, I have recently published an issue (# 90) of my mail art magazine ARTE POSTALE! devoted to a networking project, HATS OFF TO GEORGE MACIUNAS, that involved 53 artists from 11 countries in the creation of "art hats" dedicated to fluXus artists. The hats were presented in performance on may 26th 2007 in a defilé that took place in the public library of my town Viareggio (Italy), with fluXus veteran Philip Corner and Phoebe Neville as special guests (I posted a series of photos of the event in Open Fluxus). I offer this magazine, while copies last, in eXchange for your fluXus publication. Read more in the attached intro from the zine.

Vittore Baroni
via C. Battisti 339, 55049 Viareggio, Italy

[RUBBISH]

reads great!

[Joel S. Cohen]

Hello Fluxus Vittore,
The Sticker Dude

[vittore baroni]

Hallo Joel,
nice to see you here too. But I start to feel a bit out of place, I thought this discussion group was about connecting Fluxus artists: I see very little interest in the spirit of Fluxus, surely the humour is missing. It's more like finding yourself in the middle of a "Big Brother" type reality show, where everybody is only interested in showing off, and the attention span is less than 10 seconds. Oh my, just read the lenght of the reactions to this "discussion", 2 or 3 words, if this is "social networking" in Internet, I'm afraid you can count me out. I can hear poor old Maciunas rotating in his grave (by the way, thanks for the extra Maciunas sticker in your last mailing, that grimace is great!).
I'm off to bed now, take care
Vittore

[Litsa Spathi / NOBODY]

Hallo Vittore,
you are RIGHT! I also see here "little interest in the spirit of Fluxus
but there is more a kind of self-promotion, 10 seconds?, no maybe 3-5 seconds of attention!
The phenomen Open Fluxus is very interesting, now everyone is a Fluxus artist, critical thoughts or questions
are not popular, not pleasant, everything is good and Fluxus. Everything is allowed!?

By the project on Open Fluxus: BIG QUESTIONS mail-art call., I placed the comment "I thought,
it is an OPEN FLUXUS group and not a Mail- Art Club."-
You can follow there the discussion... the admin wrote some interesting things:
"It seems to be a little heated in this room. A little too serious for me. I would like to throw a couple of opinions out there though.
1. It wouldn't be "open" if admin controlled the content.
2. It wouldn't be "open" if admin controlled the invitation of members.
3. There will always be debate of what's fluxy enough.
4. It seems that there are members that are not necessarily Fluxus, but are interested to learn more about the subject. I think that makes it our duty to fill the content. OPEN FLUXUS IS NOT ELITIST.
5. Is Fluxus to bring ART and LIFE closer together and break down the distance between the two?"

Vittore, I also can hear poor old Maciunas rotating in his grave !
Ciao
Litsa Spathi
alias Nobody
Fluxus Heidelberg Center

[vittore baroni]

thanks for the message Litsa,
I guess the problem here (a site devoted to Fluxus where few are fluxus artists or interested in fluxus) is not really a problem if we agree that the "Open Fluxus" of the title is literally an open flux of fragmented visions, NOT necessarily connected with the various "historical Fluxuses" (as you know, there is a Maciunas tradition of Fluxus, but also other traditions). A proof of how disconnected from the historical Fluxus are many flux-blogs on the internet is that very seldom any of the historical Fluxus artists still alive and active (Vautier, Friedman, Patterson, ecc.) put their nose into these discussion groups. Don't wanna play with the kids. On the other hand, I did visit in past years newsgroups sponsored by historical fluxists, and I found them boring and quarrelsome, with different people trying to defend their own interpretation of Fluxus, and the temptation of the market inserting its devilish paw.
My proposal here to exchange publications wanted to be a shortcut to a deeper contact, but it seems no one has fluxus publications to offer (or, more simply, nobody cares to read the discussion groups...).
May the Nutopian spirit be your guardian angel!
ciao,
V.

[Litsa Spathi / NOBODY]

I'll try to aswer in German!!

Lieber Vittore,
meine Antwort schreibe ich nun in Deutsch, da ich mich in dieser Sprache besser zu Hause fuehle.
Als ich hier dein Project sah: f"luXus publications eXchange", fragte ich mich, ob es ueberhaupt solche Publikationen gibt! Und wenn es sie gibt, wer gibt sie heraus und warum kenne ich sie nicht und auch Ruud nicht, weil wir immer auf der Suche sind nach den neuesten Fluxus Publikationen. Wie du weiist , sind die Publikationen auf diesem Gebiet ind den letzten Jahren stes seltener geworden.
In der guten alten Mailart-Zeit gab es ein Project , man hat seinen Beitrag geschickt und dann folgte die Ausstelung der Objekte /Beiträge und am Ende hat man die Dokumentantion oder den Katalog erhalten. Das alles ist so gut wie weg, die Portokosten sind zu hoch, die Druckkosten auch und die Dokumentation erfolgt fast nur digital , in Blogs.
Solange noch einige Fluxus-Legenden wie Yoko Ono, Ben Vautier u.a. noch am Leben sind, werden sich immer wieder sowohl Museen als auch Verlage auf sie stuerzen und sie ausmelken. Ich erinnere mich, einmal kam Ben Vautier nach Heidelberg ,es war ein Spektakel, einige "Leute" haben ihm immer wieder Wein eingeschenkt , den ganzen Abend ...... und so signierte er und signierte und signierte und...
Doch zurueck zu den Open Fluxus Big Questions Mail -art Project. Auch hier ist die Dokomentation digital geplant. Niemand ist mehr bereit, eine "Hard-ware"-Dokumentation herauszugeben. Zu viel Geld, zu viel Zeit.
Manche Kollegen machen nur virtuelle/digitale Kunst - und all ihre Kunst ist auf dem Computer gespeichert. Stell dir vor.! was fuer ein enormes Vertrauen wir , Menschen, inzwischen zu so einer Maschine entwickelt haben! Und welche Abhaengigkeit!
Und was was dann, wenn etwas falsch mit der Technik geht, wenn die Entwicklungen anders laufen als erwartet ?, Werden wir vielleicht mit leeren Haenden stehen?
. Was ich damit meine: In dem digitalen Zeitalter dokumentieren wir schlecht oder nicht gut oder gar nicht! Und deswegen ist dein Project GUT! Vielleicht ist das der erste Schritt zuruck zum besseren und sorgfaeltigen Umgang mit unserer Arbeit.
Ich denke oft ueber all diese Dinge nach... vielleicht koennen wir=einige von uns hier eine gemeinsame Basis finden, um herauszufinden, wie wir Dinge in der Zukunft ANDERS und vielleicht BESSER machen koennen.

Ciao

Litsa Spathi/alias Nobody
Fluxus Heidelberg Center

[vittore baroni]

I only understood one third of what you wrote, sorry, I don't speak German, e se anche io cominciassi ad esprimermi in Italiano e ciascuno nella sua lingua, potremmo costruire una bella Torre di Babele Fluxus! Internet is such a powerful tool. but because of the saturation of messages, you have to be really sharp to make a point. We are only little slaves in Ning's kindergarden: we spend time=money here, and if nothing is to be gained, ciao auf wiedersen fare thee well...

[Litsa Spathi / NOBODY]

Babel Fish says:
Dear Vittore, I write my answer now into German, since I feel in this language better at home. As I your Project saw here: f"luXus publications ex CHANGES", I asked myself whether there are at all such publications! And if there are it, who gives it out and why I do not know it and also Ruud not, because we are always on the search after the newest Fluxus publications. As you weiist, the publications in this area became rarer ind the last years stes. In the good old Mailart time there was a Project, one its contribution sent and then followed the Ausstelung of the objects /Beitraege and at the end one the Dokumentantion or the catalog received. All this is as good as away, the postage costs is too highly, the pressure costs also and the documentation effected nearly only digitally, in Blogs. As long as some flux US legends such as Yoko Ono, Ben Vautier among other things alive are, both museums become again and again and publishing houses on them to fall and out-milk it. I remember, once came Ben Vautier to Heidelberg,es was a pageant, some "people" to him again and again wine poured out, the whole evening...... and in such a way marked he and marked and marked and... But back to the open Fluxus Big Questions Mail kind Project. The Dokomentation is digitally planned also here. Nobody is more ready to publish a "hard ware" documentation. Too much money, too much time. Some colleagues make only virtual/digital art - and all their art is stored on the computer. Place to you forwards! which for an enormous confidence we, developed humans, in the meantime to so a machine! And which dependence! And which which if somewhat wrongly with the technology goes, if the developments run differently than expected?, Perhaps will we stand with empty hands? . Which I thereby my: In the digital age we document badly or not well or not at all! And therefore your Project is PROPERTY! Perhaps that is the first step zuruck to better and careful handling our work. I think often of all these things after... perhaps can wir=einige of us here a common basis find, in order to find out, how we can make things in the future DIFFERENTLY and perhaps for GOOD.
Ciao
Litsa Spathi/alias Nobody
Fluxus Heidelberg center

[Litsa Spathi / NOBODY]

Where did this massage do?
I have recently read this!

Litsa Spathi/alias Nobody
Fluxus Heidelberg Center

Tricia Bowles replied to the discussion "fluXus publications eXchange" on OPEN Fluxus

To view the new reply, visit:
http://openfluxus.ning.com/xn/detail/1983585:Comment:10649

--
To stop following this discussion, go to:
http://openfluxus.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=1983585%3ATopic%3A77...

[Bubu]

Liebe Litsa,
ich finde, deine Gedanken und Ausfuehrungen treffen den Nagel auf den Kopf. du gehst aber leider zu sehr in die Tiefe und eher oberflaechlicheren Naturen auf den Geist oder Nerven, was auch immer.
Kern ist und bleibt, es ist wenig belegt und dokumentiert in den letzten 10 Jahren . Du hast recht, eines Tages werdet ihr mit leeren Haenden dastehen und voellig von der Geschichte vergessen werden. Ich verdiene ja mein Geld und Ruhm, wie du weisst, mit anderen Dingen , entwerfe hier in Berlin munter und froehlich deutsches und internationales Design und ansonsten vergnuege ich mich praechtig mit X-EU.
Ich liebe euch alle
Bubu

[Tanja Vermeer-Vos]

a pity I can't afford to buy one of your designs. I did sit on one recently when I visit the Art Design Contest in Berlin once. Looked very beautiful and also sat very well!

You are an excelent designer.

Tanja

[Fluxus Dictator]

Bubu, your response is absoutely DIN. You ate really FLUXY!
Fluxus Dictator