CRITICAL POSITIONS
(BY WAY OF CONCLUSION)
(BY WAY OF CONCLUSION)
There is a global pandemic shifting learning, life and work indoors and online.
The rules of the game have changed, both temporarily and permanently.
What does it mean to be experimental, critical and political
during and after a crisis, and under constantly shifting conditions of communication?
What are the new questions, problems and possibilities of such?
In what ways are the private and personal being blurred
and redefined as the private becomes the virtual domain of the social,
whilst the commons turns into a space of distance and inaccessibility?
Whose voices, perspectives and priorities do we include and listen to in the process?
Free License Music by AShamaluevMusic, < Incursion>
<The Unknown Town>
#001
In midst of the void, the God created a man.
In midst of the void, the God created a man.
Upon bringing him to life, God commanded,
“I give you, life and freedom.
Carve your own face,
Two open eyes to see the world,
A mouth to speak nothing but the truth,
And two ears to hear the faithful words.
Bear the pain and you shall gain
The shape in the image of God.”
The man replied,
“But I am nothing without your good hands on me.”
God answered,
“Son, I give you two hands those resemble my own.
I have no hands on you
But you shall be in my hands.”
The man cut through his body.
Screamed and cried.
He tried to remember the shape of God.
But pain blinded him.
The man despaired
The more he struggled,
The more hideous he became.
He shouted out,
“God, I cannot see you anymore.
I cannot remember you anymore.
Please find me and give me your mercy.”
God answered,
“I gave you two hands.
Bear the pain and you shall gain.”
#002
More and more man appeared.
Two men became neighbours.
Neighbours became a village.
A village became a town.
Until no one in the town
Remembered where they were from.
Happy as a rabbit,
Humming like a bird,
In a black velvet suit,
His fancy shoes shining like a diamond,
The man in the mask found the sign
To the Unknown Town.
He shrugged indifferently,
“What a very uninteresting name
Out of which I shall make a very interesting game!”
Gathering people in the piazza
The merchant chanted,
“Hear, hear!
People without a face!
Get your own mouth in a second.
NO PAIN, YES GAIN
The world has changed.
Come and get one.
Before it is too late.
This is revolution!”
The crowd went wild.
“That is it! That is the one!”
The sales went through the ceiling.
Until every single one in the town,
No, the Anonymocity
Had the same face.
God shed a tear.
But the eclipse was unstoppable.
#003
One day, there happened a crime.
One day, there happened a crime.
In the midst of the darkness
The victim lost both hands.
It was gone. Just like that.
Not a clue, not a witness.
The next day another loss.
The next day another loss,
And another followed by another.
The city fell in shock.
People were terrified,
Locking themselves behind the doors,
Distrusting each other,
Isolating oneself.
Not a fest in the street.
Not a clue, one witness and three suspects.
Mr. No, One doing nothing
Mr. Any, One doing something
Mr. Every, One bragging how he knows everything
Watching the news the man realized.
The man in the mirror
Stared back in the exact same montage.
He was Mr. One.
He was not Mr. One.
He could be Mr. One.
He could not be Mr. One.
He should not be Mr. One.
He must not be Mr. One.
But the mask took the root deep into his skull.
Screamed and cried.
He tried to remember the shape of God.
But pain blinded him.
The man despaired
The more he struggled,
The more hopeless he became.
He ran to God,
“God, I cannot take this burden anymore.
I cannot follow you anymore.
Please look at me and give me your mercy.”
God answered,
“I gave you two hands.
Bear the pain and you shall gain.”
The man stabbed and stabbed
Until finally the mask was lost.
There he stood with an eye and a mouth.
God embraced the Son
“Son, go and see the world.
Speak nothing but the truth.”
The man ran back to the city to share the joy.
#004
Gathering people in the piazza
The man chanted,
“Hear, hear!
People in the mask!
YES PAIN, YES GAIN
The world needs to go back
Come and take off the mask
Before it is too late.
This is resolution!”
The crowd sneered.
“Look at that hideous fool!”
“What a disgusting idea.”
The man in the mask whispered,
“Liar.”
The crowd laughed.
“Liar! Liar!”
Once again the man in the mask whispered,
“Let’s kill him.”
The crowd went wild.
“Yes! Kill him!!”
And they murdered the man.
Happy as a rabbit,
Humming like a bird,
In a black velvet suit,
His fancy shoes shining like a diamond,
The man in the mask picked up the dead’s knife.
He shrugged indifferently,
“What a very uninteresting game
Out of which I shall make a very interesting fame!”
Gathering people in the piazza
The merchant chanted,
“Hear, hear!
People without a hand!
Get your own hand with a knife in a second.
NO PAIN, YES GAIN
The world has not changed.
Come and get one.
Because it is too late!”
The crowd went wild.