Franco Bifo Berardi@House of the People

Postspectacle Shelter in The House of the People & RID invite you to:


Does Europe have any future? - workshop with Franco Bifo Berardi:


Wednesday 25 Apr, 19.00 - House of the People (MNAC)


Biography:
Franco Berardi “Bifo” is a contemporary writer, autonomist theorist and media-activist. Founder of the magazine A/traverso (1975-1981), he took part in the staff of Radio Alice, the first free radio station in Italy (1976/1978). He was involved in the political movement of autonomia in Italy during the 1970s. He worked with Felix Guattari, in the field of schizoanalysis.
His work analyzes the role of media and information technology in post-industrial capitalism, in particular drawing from schizoanalysis and aesthetics to investigate processes of subjectification within precarious labor. Human emotions and embodied communication becomes increasingly central to the production and consumption patterns that sustain capital flows in post-industrial society, and as such Berardi uses the concepts of "cognitariat" and "info labour" to analyze this psycho-social process. In his recent book, After the Future, he tries to prefigure what can come after our present end of the future. He has written extensively on exhaustion, senility, depression and the end of the European project.


with the support of Goethe-Institut Bucuresti & MNAC

Workshop RID

coordinated by Sara Lehn & Stefan Tiron

with Akira & Nae, Alice Monica Marinescu & Katia Pascariu from 4th Age Community Arts Center, Raluca Voinea & BMR

[Each day is a succession of short brainstorming “instant aging” sessions where we listen&discuss around different materials&experiences (videos, recordings, books, images, posters, news) followed by hands-on poster making and comic book drawing&editing]

Participants: Daiana Azoth, Claudia Campeanu, Ruxandra Costescu, Claudiu Cobilanschi, Eduard Constantin, Suzana Dan, Cosmina Dinu, Alice Gancevici, Monica Obreja, Daniela Prisacariu, Tamara Zlobina

Friday, 18th of November

11:00

Intro: BMR research frame/the whole program/its now&future

Sara Lehn (SL) & Stefan Tiron (ST): workshop intro comic-books/postering/AGEISM representations: movie-about-age trailers.

Akira & Nae (SEFEU) will present their vision on comic books; the empowering/activist potential of cartoons?

Participants present themselves, their interest in the topic and their expectations about the workshop (INSIDE: view on aging, OUTSIDE: products, aims)

13:00 SL presents a rough outline of the poster and graphic advert/propaganda-history of posters and activist strategies in art projects/artistic strategies in activism

ST will show and discuss some posters out of his collection

Discussion with Akira & Nae about the absence/the roles available to old people in comic books and about the necessity to address old age-related topics through these media. The talk will continue about the 'evils' of old age, and old peoples as figures of evil in comic book such as DOMU.

14:00 - 15:00 lunchbreak

15:00 – 17:00 Messages/Statements. Discussions. “Age is the future of everybody.”

Saturday, 19th of November

11:00 - 13:00 Presentation of the 4th Age Community Arts Center

14:00 - 17:00 Trip to Moses Rosen day-care facility for elderly

Discussions with the elderly from Moses Rosen about collective "wishes" - sketches, words, written slogans (to be further used in posters/ cartoons)

Sunday, 20th of November

11.00 – 12.00 Discussions around youth/elderly and media materials: videoclips, Romanian news coverage of the elderly – demonstrations against recent cuts and general economic problems; medical issues (for example the fact that many are going back to naturist remedies instead of expensive and prohibitive pharmaceuticals)

12.00- 14.00 Work sessions

14.00 – 15.00 Lunch break

15.00 – 17.00 Discussing ideas and works, agreeing on a result, on a way how and where to print/copy/distribute

Lansare RID

poster de Beata Sosnowska (PL)

LANSAREA PROIECTULUI RID va avea loc vineri, 18 noiembrie, ora 18.00

@subRahova

Strada Sergent Nutu Ion, nr. 2

Discuție informală cu: Irina Gheorghe, Beate Köhler, Alina Popa, Stefan Tiron, Raluca Voinea și participanții la workshop.

CALL FOR RID

atelier de pancarte pentru demonstratiile batranilor/elor in cadrul proiectului RID

cu Sara Lehn (DE) & Stefan Tiron (RO)

Invitati speciali: Akira&Nae (Sefeu)
impreuna cu persoane varstince din cartierul Rahova
& participanti la proiectul Varsta a Patra de la Caminul Moses Rosen

Atelierul va avea loc in perioada 18-20 noiembrie 2011 intre 11:00 - 17:00.

@subRahova

Strada Sergent Nutu Ion, nr. 2

Daca vreți să participați vă rugam să ne trimiteți un email pe adresa de contact: mimodrama [at] gmail.com.

Va invitam sa intram in actiune pe o tema amanata si nerezolvata. Cum putem pleda cauza batranilor si batranelor in societatea romaneasca actuala din perspectiva precariatului cultural? Cum putem contracara estetica dominanta a corpului tanar si energetic? Ce mijloace vizuale avem la dispozitie? Mai este posterbombingul o solutie in jungla marketingul de gherila? Cum arata astazi un comix activist?

Fie ca vrem fie ca nu, unii dintre noi traim cu sprijinul parintilor si rudelor in varsta. Cu toate astea putem vorbi astazi de un dictat al economiei de piata de a fetisiza tineretul invingator ca reprezentant al prospetimii, adaptabilitatii si flexibilitatii spiritului competitiv. Noua economie traieste din capacitatea de a consuma si transforma un corp tanar intr-un corp batran, la fel cum stie sa transforme un produs nou intr-un produs depasit. In paralel, cresterea economica si industria publicitara raman investite intr-o cultura a tineretii fara batranete, a obrazului fara riduri, a lifestyle-urilor extreme si a bunurilor cu termen de garantie din ce in ce mai limitat.

Toti cauta angajati tineri, artisti tineri, iar curatorii par alesi pe criterii neotenice din ce in ce mai pronuntate. In acelasi timp pensia a devenit un fruct oprit, si putini dintre noi mai spera cu adevarat la o batranete fericita si lipsita de griji. Dat fiind ca prezentul nostru este intim si demografic legat de un posibil pappy boom si mammy boom, consideram ca viitorul Europei apartine batranilor. In Romania de azi tinerii stau si batranii protesteaza in timp ce casele de asigurari ne ameninta cu noua generatie care imbatraneste. Am vrea sa urmarim impreuna de ce epuizarea, rigiditatea si anchilozarea au devenit termeni cheie care ilustreaza direct cat de profunde sunt panicile si psihozele gerontofobe ale sistemului economic si politic actual.

Sara Lehn, agit-prop berlinez, postere si organizare de activitati contraculturale la West Germany (Kreuzberg), coordonare de conferinte progresiste la Interflugs (UdK Berlin) http://www.interflugs.de/en/, co-conspiratoare la revista Panic Button (Slovacia), participanta la Sieg of Sonne Orakel (SoSO) http://www.anfanggutallesgut.net/.

Stefan Tiron, traficant de informatie, membru F.R.R. http://aerobix.blogspot.com/2010/10/frr-in-english.html , bursier www.monochrom.at, initiator Cozzzzzzzzmonautica, colaborator in cadrul proiectului de ecologie urbana/biologie invaziva www.ghettopalm.tumblr.com

Akira, membru fondator comix SEFEU, celebru mangaka din Brasov/Intorsura Buzaului, contributor la primul fanzin Manga.Inc, revista Otaku Magazine si CosplayGen, un lucrator neobosit intru zamislirea benzilor desenate http://dinauntru.blogspot.com/

Nae studiaza arhitectura sediilor de supereroi, initiaza revista COAPSE, membru fondator comix SEFEU, pictor de biserici, contributor Manga.Inc, Otaku Magazine, un lucrator neobosit intru zamislirea benzilor desenate http://sefeu.blogspot.com/

Varsta4 este un proiect de arta comunitara desfasurat impreuna cu rezidentii caminului de persoane varstnice "Moses Rosen", din august 2009 si coordonat de Paul Dunca, Alice Monica Marinescu, Mihaela Michailov, Katia Pascariu, David Schwartz. Programul se desfăşoară în parteneriat cu Căminul „Amalia şi şef Rabin dr. Moses Rosen” şi cu DASM – Direcţia de Ajutor Social şi Medical a Federaţiei Comunităţilor Evreieşti din România. Toţi artiştii antrenaţi în proiect lucrează pe bază de voluntariat. Pentru mai multe informatii: http://www.varstapatru.blogspot.com/

RID este un proiect initiat de Biroul de Cercetari Melodramatice, Stefan Tiron si Raluca Voinea impreuna cu Beate Köhler care va avea loc in perioada Noiembrie 2011-Mai 2012.

Proiect sprijinit de Goethe-Institut Bukarest.

Statement

Sometime in the 23rd century...the survivors of war, overpopulation and pollution are living in a great domed city, sealed away from the forgotten world outside. Here, in an ecologically balanced world, mankind lives only for pleasure, freed by the servo-mechanisms which provide everything. There's just one catch: Life must end at thirty unless reborn in the fiery ritual of carrousel.
Logan’s Run, directed by Michael Anderson, 1976

Today we are regulating the rigid borderlines of art ‘youthness’ on a daily basis with the help of in-built cultural expiration dates, artistic freshness certificates, forceful calls of up-to-dateness and a good dose of coercive dynamism. Biennials for example are always keen on trapping and showing off their youngest curators, or labeling themselves as exclusive and foremost dealers of “YOUNG” art. At the same time, the warranty of young or forever young is authenticated by universities, cultural institutes and mass-media.
The notion of youth/Jugend was a favourite example of the totalitarian systems and a symbol of the renewing capacity of a nation. The modernist project also relies on the concept of youth as a regenerative force involved in nurturing the triumphant dreams of progress and limitless growth.

The Workings of Youth
The vitality of the workforce is maintained by a ready supply of migrant workers, cheap labor and high birth rates. Exploitation in this sense is dependent on a perpetual supply of young bodies. Late capitalism needs to ensure a strict separation of age groups based on the temporal segmentation of life. A certain age group, for example under 30 is one of the desired engines of this lost productivity, renewable physical energy. Youth as a cellular concept identifies ageing as a biological process in which cells are failing to keep up with the ever increasing pace and acceleration of their environment. Thus, youth is just a selective and increasingly over-productive association of cellular automata powering our global economy.

The Arthritis of Youth
Youth has all the advantages it needs. Old age is only acceptable if it’s redefined as vintage. Vintage has come to signify the luster of preciousness, an anachronistic mark of distinction following the ultimate eviction of the old bodies from their newly recycled garments.
The threat of aging is an incentive of fearless consumerism - the only escape promised to a society with gerontophobic ideals. In the same way, the fear of wrinkled concepts drives the employment of a young creative class always ready to execute each time the necessary facelift.
However, the visual monopoly of the youth surfaced by advertising, magazine covers and popular TV shows, promoters of young talents, is countered by the unfaltering cultural gerontocracy. Old masters, professionals, experts and advisers serve in an army of moral guardians in charge of re-establishing our jumbled values.
In this context where age limits are constantly produced and enforced, where the biological expiration dates are the ultimate deadlines, we want to question these segmentations of life and the use of age as a tool of contemporary biopolitics.