Group11:::::: Critical Art Ensemble

(Mazi, Ron, Rami, Yung-Hoon)

Critical Art Ensemble

(CAE) is a collective of five tactical media practitioners of various specializations including computer graphics and web design, film/video, photography, text art, book art, and performance.

Formed in 1987, CAE's focus has been on the exploration of the intersections between art, critical theory, technology, and political activism. The original members are Steve Barnes, Dorian Burr, Steve Kurtz, Hope Kurtz and Beverly Schlee. Their book projects include: The Electronic Disturbance (1997), Electronic Civil Disobedience & Other Unpopular Ideas(1998), Flesh Machine; Cyborgs,Designer Babies, Eugenic Conscousness (1998), Digital Resistance: Explorations in Tactical Media (2001), Molecular Invasion (2002)

Nomadic Power and Cultural Resistance

In “The Electronic Disturbance”, CAE argued that a major change in the representation of power had occurred over the past twenty years. Power once represented itself as a visible sedentary force through various types of spectacle (media, architecture, etc.), but it has instead retreated into cyberspace where it can nomadically wander the globe, always absent to counterforce, always present whenever and wherever opportunity knocks.

“It is now necessary to bring panic into the bunker.” We should disturb the illusion of security that the nomadic power is trying to establish by counterattacking it by means of resistance. They mention that tactics such as hacking, sending a wide spreading virus, email bombing are effective tools against this cyber nomadic power.

The electronic world is by no means established and that is why we should take advantage of this by new forms of electronic resistance. Artists/Activists (as well as other concerned groups) can help the resistance by using media against this power. After all, this nomadic power’s weapon of choice is and always was media so why not use it against it.