The Mutants of Prague from 'Carta' october 2000.
Prague scrambles languages, experiences, interests, radicalism and belongings. And, at the same time, weld them around a vision of the world: the one up side down, the one from the side of the 'globalized'. The IMF and WB summit is a symbolic and real occasion to release all the differences and put them in communication. That's why in Prague they couldn't miss the one from Degree Zero, that in the middle of september , gave life, in the social centre ex-snia viscosa in Rome , during five days of interdisciplinary activities from music, dance, theatre to round table discussions, meetings, workshops, performances. It was an extraordinary collective event that brought together social centres, urban collectives, small and big cultural and social associations around one hypothesis: that "the only insurmountable obstacle that the economic hegemony faces is the heterogeneity of the genre artistic, activist, intellectual, and collective". It has been discussed in many ways : with a big meeting preparing Prague, with a round table-discussion on 'Subversive forms of subjectivity' coordinated by the analyst Pietro Bria. And with small and big moments of artistic expression: sound sculpture, electronics, kinetic art, philosophy and studies on performance art."There is no need to talk of what is private- that's how one of the organizer's group introduce itself- just make sure that what's already public has been admitted publicly". To state this is oo_y_o, a performance group based in Amsterdam, that "investigate the manner in which desire is invested in disciplinary programs, that hunts the body and nourishes forms of repression. With Degree Zero we create a site of research in the use, mis-use, suppression, oppression, and control of the body, image, information and architectural space. We don't want an artist boxed in the socialized spaces of compartmentalized art, the importance is establish oneself in contemporary reality with a practise, and bring testimony of the wrong." Of the five moments of Degree Zero's work (performance art, counter-information, sound research, kinetic art /installation and new media, philosophy and performance art studies), Prague fits in the second. "That more than 250 million children dies every year of incurable diseases constitutes a wrong. The destruction of ecosystems constitutes a wrong. A wrong is a damage with the lack of authority and rights to testimony it." Degree Zero is than an hypothesis; and it can also be the entrance to the platform for performance art and activism in Amsterdam".
Subversive Forms in the ex-snia
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'Il Manifesto' 10 September 2000
Degree Zero stands at the extreme edge of communication fusion, an international network that meet in the middle of September in the social centre ex-snia viscosa Via Prenestina 173. The members of the network are preparing to go to Prague for the counter-summit in protest to the IMF/WB meeting from the 21 till the 28 of September. From the 12 till the 16, the ex-factory will be a rally point to exchange ideas and strategies. Degree zero is a big collective event of performance art and activism and will bring together social centres from all around Europe, activists (INPEG, EYFA-european youth for action, etc). On the 12 at 21:00 there will be the screening on squatting in Amsterdam and Rome and there will be a round table discussion titled 'From the antagonist experiences of the European metropolis to the movement against globalisation: from Seattle to Prague'. Everyday there will be performances of the bigger groups involved: oo_y_o, Jan Keller, the Living Theatre, Angela Kohnlein and Andy Moor.
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Five days of dance , music, video Art and Protest Degree Zero
from Silvia Corti 'Time Out' Roma 14-2September2000
At the 'ex-snia viscosa' an event to find out new forms of global activism "To establish oneself in contemporary reality with a practise and bring testimony of the wrong": it's the program of the international action group 'oo_y_o', that organized and will co-ordinate the event Degree Zero, this weekend in the 'ex-snia viscosa'. A convention, a rally point for activists, artists and intellectuals from all around Europe, in five days of interdisciplinary action, to activate a free exchange of knowledge, life styles, experiences and ways of communication. At the centre of the debate there will be the new forms of creative and poetic resistance, the one that link art and protest, imagination and revolution. That goes from the dance of the Body Weather research of oo_y_o and Angela Kohnlein to the sound architecture of Jan Keller and Bryan Zeatnick: performances that put the body at the centre of politics and cultural practice, actions that keep the routes of art (art formation put together, make together), passionate practises of accusation. In the convey there wi l be round tables, with exponents of the transnational movement against globalisation: Amongst them there are also the organizers of the Political Art Festival 'Art and Resistance' in Prague for the IMF/WB counter-summit. The core of the Degree Zero project is constituted by the group oo_y_o, initiator of the laboratory for performance art and activism based in the social centre overtoom 301 in Amsterdam. Moving throughout the continent, organizing events and symbolic actions, these artists/activists wants to "question on forms of control of the body, information and architectural space". Degree Zero will be articulated into five working sessions: performance art studies, sound research, kinetic art and new media, everything will be discussed and socialized. The work will be organized in set work (finished performances) and zero work (open experimentations that will take shape under the guidance of artists and performers).
Next meting : june in Rome.