[NetBehaviour] “Alternative Economics, Alternative Societies” shows in Belgrade & Novi Sad

[Ruth Catlow]

ALTERNATIVE ECONOMICS, ALTERNATIVE SOCIETIES /
ALTERNATIVNE EKONOMIJE, ALTERNATIVNA DRUSTVA

Author of the exhibition: Oliver Ressler, Vienna
www.ressler.at

Producers of the exhibitions in Serbia and Montenegro:
New Media Center_kuda.org, Novi Sad (www.kuda.org)
Austrian Cultural Forum Belgrade

Coproducers of the exhibitions in Serbia and Montenegro:
Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade (www.msub.org.yu)
Museum of Contemporary Art Novi Sad (www.msluns.org.yu)

The exhibition “Alternative Economics, Alternative Societies” focuses on
diverse concepts and models for alternative economies and societies,
which all have in common a rejection of the capitalist system of rule.
In the specific context of Serbia and Montenegro, which is facing one of
the most “painful” processes of transition and “predatory” capitalism
implementation in the region, this art exhibition offers solutions and
examples of concrete models of political and social organizing realized
in different parts of the world and in different historical epochs. In
the context of extremely right-wing politics in Serbia and these
incredibly fast economic transformation processes, there is a conviction
that the exhibitions have the potential to appeal on questioning and
rethinking the local system of rule and to create the bases for thinking
about social and economic alternatives.
For the exhibitions in Serbia and Montenegro, all of the 11 videos of
the project were produced in Serbian language.

The EXHIBITIONS are taking place in:
Novi Sad, Museum of Contemporary Art, Dunavska 37, 24 May – 2 June 2005
Belgrade, Salon of Museum of Contemporary Art, Pariska 14, 4 – 10 June 
2005

PUBLIC DEBATES “There Must be an Alternative” are taking place in:
Novi Sad, Friday, 3 June 2005, 19:00h, Museum of Vojvodina, Dunavska 37
Belgrade, Saturday, 4 June 2005, 19:00h, Salon of Museum of Contemporary
Art, Pariska 14

Participants of the debates are:
MARINA GRZINIC, Ljubljana/Vienna
ANDREJ GRUBACIC, Belgrade/New York
BRIAN HOLMES, Paris
TODOR KULJIC, Belgrade
OLIVER RESSLER, Vienna

PUBLICATION
On the occasion of the exhibitions “Alternative Economics, Alternative
Societies”, and public debates in Serbia and Montenegro, a book about
the current status of the ongoing project, as a collaborative effort of
the author Oliver Ressler and New Media Center_kuda.org, is being
published for the first time since the beginning of the project's
development. The book will be published by Revolver - Archiv für
aktuelle Kunst, from Frankfurt, Germany (www.revolver-books.de) and it
will be distributed internationally. The following texts have been
written for this publication: “Performative Alternative Economics” by
Marina Grzinic, “Utopia and Actuality, The Chances of an Alternative” by
Brian Holmes, “The Enclosure of Societal Changes” by Kristian Lukic and
“Appeal for Non-Hierarchic, Self-Determined, Social and Economic
Alternatives”, an interview with O. Ressler.
(72 pages, languages: English and Serbian, ISBN 3-86588-123-8)



ALTERNATIVE ECONOMICS, ALTERNATIVE SOCIETIES
A project by Oliver Ressler

After the loss of a counter-model for capitalism – which socialism, in
its real, existing form had presented until its collapse – alternative
concepts for economic and social development face hard times at the
beginning of the twenty-first century. In the industrial nations,
broadly discussed are only those “alternatives” that do not question the
existing power relations of the capitalist system and representative
democracies. Other socio- economic approaches are labeled utopian,
devalued, and excluded from serious discussion if even considered at 
all.

The thematic installation, “Alternative Economics, Alternative
Societies,” focuses on diverse concepts and models for alternative
economies and societies, which all share a rejection of the capitalist
system of rule. An interview was carried out for each concept. Interview
partners include economists, political scientists, authors, and
historians. From these interviews, a video in English was produced. In
the exhibition, these single-channel 20- to 37-minute videos are each
shown on a separate monitor, thus forming the central element of the
artistic installation.

The project presents alternative social and economic models such as
“Inclusive Democracy” from Takis Fotopoulos (GB/GR), “Participatory
Economy” from Michael Albert (U.S.A.) and “Anarchist Consensual
Democracy” from Ralf Burnicki (D). Marge Piercy (U.S.A.) presents the
feminist-anarchist utopias of her social fantasies, and the underground
author p.m. (CH), the ideas of his concept “bolo’bolo.” Other videos
focus on certain principles that might be of importance when discussing
alternative economics and societies: Nancy Folbre (U.S.A.) speaks about
“Caring Labor,” Christoph Spehr (D) about “Free Cooperation” and John
Holloway (MEX/GB) about his ideas of how to “Change the World Without
Taking Power.” As interesting historical models, Todor Kuljic (SCG),
thematizes workers’ self-management in Yugoslavia in the 1960s and
1970s, Salomé Moltó (E) talks about the workers’ collectives during the
Spanish Civil War (1936–38), and Alain Dalotel (F) discusses the Paris
Commune of 1871.

Chosen from each of these eleven videos is one quotation significant for
the alternative model that it presents. The quote is placed directly on
the floor of the exhibition room as a several meter long text piece.
This floor lettering, made from adhesive film, leads exhibition visitors
directly to the corresponding videos and thereby provides a kind of
orientation within this non-hierarchically arranged pool of videos.
These videos offer stimulus and suggestions for contemplating social
alternatives and possibilities for action.

The whole exhibition project started in Ljubljana in 2003 with five
videos. Meanwhile, the installation has grown to include eleven videos
with a total length of almost five hours. The project is ongoing.
Further economic and social concepts will be added continually in the
coming years.

Since 2003 the installation “Alternative Economics, Alternative
Societies” was realized in exhibitions in Galerija Skuc, Ljubljana (SI);
Espace Forde, Genève (CH); Kunstraum der Universitaet Lueneburg (D);
Transmediale.04, Berlin (D); O.K – Center for Contemporary Art, Linz
(A); Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Vienna (A); Itaucultural Institute, Sao
Paulo (BR); Sorlandets Kunstmuseum, Kristiansand (N); Wyspa Progress
Foundation, Gdansk (PL); Centro Cultural Conde Duque, MediaLabMadrid,
Madrid (E); Forum Stadtpark / Steirischer Herbst, Graz (A); Main Trend
Gallery, Taipei (RC), Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Mali Salon,
Rijeka (HR) and Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center, Istanbul (TR).

www.ressler.at