From: STUART INMAN <S.Inman-AT-greenwich.ac.uk> Date: Tue, 4 Jun 1996 18:58:44 GMT Subject: Re: electronic exhibition Here's my first thoughts on the electronic exhibition. 1. Before we can proceed with involving others we must have a solid proposal as to the scope and purpose of the exhibition. What are its parameters? Who is to be included? This is a difficult question, somewhere between an all inclusive approach which undermines the signifigance of it being a SURREALIST exhibition and a narrow and exclusive approach which is probasbly also horrendously sectarian, should be a territory that we can make our own. 2. There are surrealist groups, independent surrealists, and people who do not call themselves surrealist, but are sympathetic in their attitudes and in their work. All should be capable of inclusion, but we need a strategy of inclusion. The last exhibition at Hourglass, "Curiouser and Curiouser" was not strictly surrealist, but was "Surrealism and friends". The Chicago Group have done exhibitions on this basis, as have many others, so there should not be any problem as such. One simply needs to give a sense of how the exhibition is situated in relation to surrealism and that it is not a purely opportunistic thing. 3. What IS the purpose of the exhibition? A theme would be a good idea, or a series of interlinked themes which could relate to the pavilions. Chicago are planning an international exhibition "Wildfire", on an ecological theme. We can think of the great exhibitions of the past, EROS, L'ECART ABSOLUE etc. 4. Money was mentioned. I have to say that the equivalent of $50 would be difficult for me at present. Was this a purely hypothetical amount or was it based, however vaguely, on an estimate? 5. Poetry and theoretical texts should be included, some perhaps arranged thematically. Again, this is something that has a precedent in the great exhibitions of yesteryear. We can connect with that past without being slaves to it. 6. I will give a list of public addresses of all the groups known to me. They are the addresses in the International Bulletin among other places. 7. I would like to see included a critique of the electronic media. Clearly we are not Luddites, but there is a sense of a critical position in our discussions, one opposed to post-modern enthusiasm and cyber-babble. (I will post a cyber-babble dictionary if you like). I will send this, with a selection of the correspondence on this subject to Leeds for their response. One member of the group, Bill Howe, is on email, but he is a new boy to the medium and not really getting the most out of it yet. I will also write to Tony Pusey for his opinion. I can contact the Czechs, I need to write to them anyway. It occurs to me that where copyright problems do not exist and good reproductions of works do exist, there are few problems in getting material form publications. For instance, I have catalogues of the Czechs work which although already published have not had a wide exposure. We need to speak to Lynn of the Surrealism Server. I had assumed she was listening in, but if so, she has been very silent. We need to get some feedback from Paris fairly soon, as they will be crucial to the exhibition. Jean-Jacques and Marie-Dominique should be in their new flat by now (?) So, as soon as we have something like a coherent, but open structure to this plan, we can proceed. And it could be good. Stuart
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