Adjust, analysis and adjust of cultural policies.
This blog expose and propose. ADJUST points out, keeps track and informs as a way to regulate disorders in contemporary culture. Through the categories: : “Argumentos” (Arguments), “Lo inapropiado” (not appropriate) y “Clamaciones” (to claim) this blog acts as a blackboard of incorrect and inadequate practices. “Adhesion” is the category were readers can add themselves to the ideas or policies we post by signing up. Through visibility of information, this blog as an adjuster, applies pressure on private matters with public dimensions. The specific frame of this blog is art and culture. The aim is to promote fair practices by keeping track of the unfair ones.
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This blog do two things:
This blog is a blackboard of incorrect and inadequate practices and an archive of these practices. The intention is to promote fair practices by keeping track of, and displaying, the unfair ones. One can point something out and publish it or send a note without making it public. The post being public applies social pressure; the blog acts as an adjuster. The post has the identity of the blogger visible as a sign of responsibility. In situations in which one wants to keep anonymity (to avoid the trouble resulting from visibility) the note is not made public but archived; the blog acts as a witness. Even though on a practical level this is useless, (with the exception of acting if similar posts are received), just the fact of the information being transmitted to a third party is potentially a threat. In this sense “just” the existence of the blog, if it has enough flow, make it into a deterrent element.
This blog is a draft-book of ideas, theories and policies. The purpose of the draft-book is to show which are in reality the problems of art, to deconstruct the fallacies (appear as problem but in reality there are not) and to draft policies that are coherent with the facts.
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A newspaper or a blog differs from the actions of a consumer office or court, taking care of the public dimension of private matters. To inform is to tell the reality, which implies telling all that happens. To gain personal benefit, one might deny part of a situation, or make it look like what it is not. The role of journalism is to inform, using visibility as a tool for social pressure. Traditionally, the press exposes forgotten parts in another media such as television, however, in recent years, newspapers have stopped performing this task, passing it over to the Blogs. The ‘journalist’ figure as a professional investigator has been substituted by the everyday detective. At least in a potential form, anybody can be an information investigator searching on the Web, or posting data, or reacting to news arriving to his personal e-mail.
In certain areas such as art, education and culture, open calls, competitions and prizes, are sent via e-mail through global diffusion companies, such e-flux. The global nature of the calls contributes to their not-so-fair, often even abusive conditions. The ‘open calls’ often have no control mechanism other than the reaction of the users. As easy as opening the e-mail and reading the call, is sending another email questioning the procedure or the practices when they sound inappropriate. However, not many people exercise this capacity, perhaps because of laziness or simply because they do see themselves as part of anything.
This blog emerges because of two conditions: firstly a “global” society doesn’t have regulatory mechanisms and it is the participant who is in charge of pointing out malpractice to control the procedure, as just another self-motivated action that one does everyday. There is the fallacy of the collective. It is crucial to recognize the association between ‘global’ and ‘collective,’ and the difference between ‘collective’ and ‘community’; community recognizes individuality while collective hides it away. Secondly, art and culture are fields where the working conditions are very precarious and in some cases, exploitative of artist that are push to work for free. Abuse must be shown and new policies draft to change the work situation of artist and cultural workers in general.
Blog Administrator: Jana Leo janaleo@fundacionmosis.org
Blog Technician: Simon Lund simonlund@fundacionmosis.org
For further information got to: www.fundacionmosis.org