text: art, culture and
context
collection of writings and musings on art, artists and other related
contextual issues.
Ecological Ethics: Politics and communication in
Andrej Tisma's Web.Art August 2001
Ecological Ethics: Politics and communication in Andrej
Tisma's Web.Art
Anyone interested in understanding the political, artistic and ethical
situation in the world today could start by looking at the Web.Art of
Serbian artist Andrej Tisma. He offers an insight into complex issues with
intelligence and creativity particular to his local situation but with
international relevance. After experiencing his work you will feel
compelled to consider your own circumstance and role in global society.
Here I will begin to explain some background concerning the history and
context of Tisma's art followed by examples. His work however is vast and
would need more space than is available here for a substantial
representation that it deserves.
Tisma has a history of involvement in networked, communications-based art
as seen in his mail art from the 70's and 80's to his early inclusion and
participation in Internet Art projects and histories. He is therefore on
these terms a respected producer and commentator on both movements.
Tisma's work follows the tradition of mail art and is part of a strand of
Internet Art based on communication, collaboration and democracy rather
than another formal and media-installation orientated variety of Internet
Art that is also practiced. He is responsive to global events, producing
art works reacting to situations concerning international politics,
globalisation and the separation of individuals from the political
process. The net as a medium allows for alternative opinion to spread as
quickly as the media spin so typical of contemporary politics.
Ecology: Geopolitics, Society and the Internet
Ecology has been important to Tisma's work dating back to his mail art
project "Nature gives." in 1992 which served as a homage to nature and
brought attention to catastrophic situations in the world. Since then he
has expressed an extended interest in 'ecology', that is, relationships
between living things and their environment or as Tisma puts it, "ecology
is not only about clean air, water and healthy food but also about clean
social relations and ethically clean deeds."
Globalisation is an example of how these relationships are upset. Vast
differences between rich and poor countries result in manipulation and
corrupt use of national powers to further increase corporate expansion.
This hovers above all and with it comes massive opposition in the form of
demonstrations degenerating into riots by extremists and heavy-handed
security forces. The enclosed and secret situations whereby ministers and
corporate bosses discuss the future composition of the global economy,
which in turn effects the lives and well being of many in exploited
nations, causes distress amongst citizens excluded from the political
process who turn to the streets. Tisma's work acts as a constructive
protest, a creative healing process to both the lives of individuals and
the sour relations cultivated between rulers and the ruled. His work sets
a positive example of how communication and creativity provide the means
to comment on ones position in the world.
The role of Art Institutions is also an important issue when considering
Web.Art. Their privilege as brokers on art presentation and production is
an authority the avant-garde has sought to dismantle. Internet Art, and
Mail Art before it, seeks in the tradition of the avant-garde to operate
independently of such institutions by producing a direct and immediate art
form experienced between the creator and viewer without mediation or
censorship. Tisma's work exploits this situation enabling a critique
easily communicated and digested. A networked community exists on the
Internet and serves to lubricate artistic practices by providing a context
for production and consumption of works.
Web Works
Tisma adopts a particular language suitable for the Internet sometimes
appropriated from the targets of his critique or constructed as a game or
puzzle imbued with humour and irony, often simple but direct. New World
Odour and Adult censored Pics are both works imitating commercial web
sites with a difference. The former presents a series of perfumes with
cleverly worded marketing slogans and strategic names. For example a scent
called IMF is accompanied with the description, "When you are in poor
spirits and a bad mood this scent will give you the needed illusion of
happiness." The same goes for U.S.A, "it smells a little bit strange, in
big amounts even disgusting. So use it very carefully or it could drive
away your best friends." These examples act as a snide but apt remark
concerning their practices. Other varieties of perfume are included each
with a name mimicking an institution of the New World Order complete with
an adequate message. This piece acts as a light-hearted but serious
comment on the forces of globalisation.
'General Vision' heads Tisma's 'American Nightmare' series on the web
site. The page is divided into images showing the NATO General Clarke's
head and his military badges. Firstly users are instructed to test his
senses by clicking on parts of his eyes, nose and ears. Images below the
face change to depict devastating incidents, artillery and bombers from
the military campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999. This symbolically
replaces Clarke's badges of achievement and status with gross acts
committed during the war. In 'testing' his eyes, nose and hearing, the
user is made aware of the senselessness of the acts committed. One is
encouraged to imagine what generals actually see and hear and at what
level they experience wars conducted at their command.
Within these web works the user is an active component reading and
untangling the web specific languages whilst watching Tisma's ideas and
beliefs unfold. Questions are raised concerning the users own opinions,
confronting and challenging their position. In combining language with
structure and ideas Tisma has ensured a successful artwork whereby the
viewer leaves the piece but retains the message and purpose of it. In this
case the ethical principles, an awareness of ones circumstances and the
ability to engage with ones social and political environment. This is
marked by Tisma's personal experience as an individual in a society
suffering as a result of the current geopolitical situation. Only by
confronting such difficult issues will it be possible to repair and heal
the damaged social ecology. That is the position held by Tisma as
understood through his works all of which must be experienced for a
complete understanding of his concerns, wit and creativity.
Andrej Tisma's home page http://aaart.tripod.com
published in:
Digital Arts Magazine, Novi Sad, 2001
Novi Zivot
Magazine, Belgrade, 2001
Signal Magazine, Belgrade, 2003
dan@sparror.cubecinema.com