April 29, 2005
The Telepathic Table
Step 1: Select a Table
16 Beaver Group was invited to be part of Version<05 in Chicago. We will be given a table at the Zhou B. Center (Chicago) between 12:00pm and 8:00pm on Saturday April 30th and May 1st.
While we've tried to deal with placing representative objects on display, whether it is a wall, a table, or a pedestal, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to 'represent' what we do. Instead, we insist on ‘activating’ the social environment to which we’ve been invited. So having been offered this table has now triggered the following kinds of questions: How are tables social and political objects? How can this social aspect be enacted, rather than represented? What can we all do with a table, to fully take advantage of its potential? Are tables used for the same things in different cities around the world? What is the significance of tables in the date of May 1st?
We are also aware that events like Version<05, as well as the World Social Forum, or more specifically art oriented endeavors, such as the growing number of international Biennials, are based on the assumption that people need to be physically present in one place at the same time. This creates a big conflict with the reality of art budgets, which are hardly sufficient to provide for a basic living. Needless to say, the idea of travelling around the world on this budget seems impossible, especially for alternative initiatives and artist run spaces. So, very much like we’ve done in the past with projects like ‘The International Lunchtime Summit (2003, in 21 cities around the world), we are now telling everyone who is interested in art, politics, and social change, that they don’t have to move from where they are. You can join the Telepathic Table, and be with us all, in different places, at the same time.
1. How it works and how you can join, wherever you are.
- Select a table in your town or city, invite some people to do something with it at any time this coming Sunday, May 1st. What you do, and what you call it may or may not have anything to do with the questions or ideas listed above. What you do on May 1st can be the first gesture toward a table project you can develop for two weeks after that. We will collect materials related to all table projects between May 2nd and May 15th, and then put them all up, organized by city at: http://www.16beavergroup.org/chicago
The webpage will be up on the night of May 15th.
These are the kinds of materials we’d love to put up related to your project:
- Take a photograph of the table when your gathering begins, and one when it ends (Note that your table may be a cloth, if it’s a picnic, or many other things)
- Any texts, images, or ideas that can be emailed, produced on May 1st or afterwards (May 2nd to May 15th ) related to your table or the ideas above.
- A list of participants, title of project if there is one, and any urls that might be good to put up for more information on participants.
Email all materials gradually or in one big bunch to: peterlasch(at)16beavergroup.org
You don’t need to contact us before May 1st. Just do something with other people at a table, think telepathically, politcally, artistically, and send us the results after it happens! We’ll put it all up.
2. Local contacts and information for your city (so far Arhus, Baltimore, Chicago, New York, more coming)
Go ahead and add your own group/table/project and let us know what happened after you do it. You can also join one of the following if you’re in NY, Arhus, Chicago or Baltimore. See the details or email the contact person for info.
Aarhus, Denmark – at - rum46
Contact: rum46(at)rum46.dk
Baltimore, USA - at The Contemporary Museum- Patriot
Contact: Jesal Kapadia: jesalkapadia(at)hotmail.com
Chicago, USA (Sunday, May 1st – 1:00pm – 4:00pm)
- 16Beaver, Red76, Mess Hall, Polvo, Temporary Services, Chiapas Media Project, subRosa, others (not all participants are confirmed)
Contact: Peter Lasch: peterlasch(at)16beavergroup.org
We will gather at 1:00pm at the 16Beaver Table at the NFO Expo, work on tables and then literally carry our table into the Chat Room for a discussion on Alternative Spaces in the same building (Zhou B. Center) at 2:30pm. Everyone is invited, and no need to stay the whole time. You can drop in and out as you wish.
New York, USA (May 1st -- Washington Square Park, 2:00pm-4:00pm)
16Beaver, Reverend Billy, many more
Contact: Ayreen Anastas: everytime(at)16beavergroup.org
We’re joining the Rally at Washington Square Park, against the redesign / privatization / fencification of the park. We’ll meet under the Arch at 2:00pm.
See the info online at: http://www.openwsp.com/user/may1alert.htm
Please sign the online petition if you like.
A table in the park is a table cloth mostly and it can be used as a rally
banner as well as a picnic cloth. We’ll do both at different times. Bring
your banner. Bring your table.
Eat and scream.
Posted by jo at April 29, 2005 10:35 AM
