June 27, 2005
The Fantasy Life of Boys:
A Magical Tactical Practical
The Center for Tactical Magic is a San Francisco-based collective operating in the realm of performance (art) and action. Highly trained in the principles of magic, ninja-ism, art, investigation, and critical theory, the Center's actions represent a novel combination of serious political thought and social gathering. Presenting a model of art-making as collaborative, relational, and political, CTM has pseudo-military cousins in groups like Basekamp (Philadelphia) and Atelier van Lieshout (Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
MAGIC: Like artists, magicians and ninjas synthesize technical ability with tricky showmanship, competition, and illusion. The artist-as-magician illuminates the aspect of art presentation that works on the tiered levels of the public, the curator, and the fellow practitioner. CTM is able to entertain local children while foregrounding political statements and acts, rather than merely clowning. This works on the level of the public- and the artist-viewer, while entertaining and educating both.
BOYS: CTM encompasses a levity of approach which reflects its roots in fantasy careers like magician, ninja, private investigator, and philosopher. Many artists have taken on professional personae in order to document subcultures and social truths. The hybrid practice of CTM uses a schoolboy's list of professions as a tactical launching pad to pursue meaningful interaction and effective action.
NO MORE PRISONS: In the case of CTM, the various training in the ways of stealth reconnaissance, mind-and-body bending, and customer service, has yielded a powers-for-good scenario. The commitment to models of political action and literacy set this group apart from your average roving gang of fighter- trickster-private dicks. The CTM continues to take its message and methods to the streets, and to regional art centers and universities around the US.
Always up to something, I asked The Center to take a moment to offer a list of recommended readings to Rhizome Digest readers in lieu of a formal interview, and they provided the following five readings and five real-world exercises in their brand of Tactical Magic.
-Sara Greenberger
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READ-BETWEEN-THE-LINES READINGS: (in no particular order of preference)
1) Magick in Theory and Practice - Aleister Crowley (especially Crowley's preface/intro) and/or Magick Without Tears
2) Essence of Ninjutsu - Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi
3) Magic & Showmanship - Henning Nelms
4) Guerrilla Warfare & Special Forces Operations (FM 31-21) - Dept. of the
Army
5) The Temporary Autonomous Zone, Ontological Anarchy, Poetic Terrorism -
Hakim Bey
EXERCISES IN MAGICAL THINKING, ANALYZING POWER, AND ACTIVATING HIDDEN FORCES:
1) Plant three seeds of a vegetable plant of your choosing. Label each container respectively: positive, negative & control. Provide each plant with equal amounts of water, soil, and sun. Dedicate at least 6 minutes of each day (3 minutes per plant - positive & negative only) to focused positive & negative thoughts. Record your results and enjoy the fruits (vegetables) of your labor.
*This is an exercise in developing your telepathic abilities, exploring modes of unregulated communication, collaborating with non-humans, and bringing your thoughts and desires to fruition.
2) Write your own survey to elicit responses from other members of the general public. You may decide to pose questions, ask opinions, or provoke thought. Then, conduct the survey for at least 3 hours in a public space of your choosing, or until the "authorities" inform you that you are trespassing on public property.
*This is an exercise in activating public space, determining the limits of public space, and generating a non-commercial exchange of ideas among strangers. Most people are happy to express their opinions when asked, especially when they are informed that there participation does not involve a sales pitch, future mailings, religious conversion, or product development.
3) Get a rope (at least 30ft) and a friend (or a friendly stranger). Take turns tying each other up and escaping.
*This is an exercise that explores restriction, control, and self-liberation. You'll be amazed to find how easily one can liberate oneself!
4) Get a group of friends together at night and find a public space to beautify as you see fit. Consider your site beforehand and plan your action thoroughly (but don't bring along any evidence of your conspiring). Your materials should not be cumbersome, or they should be well-disguised. While some friends are in the act of beautifying, others should be posted on the lookout for "authorities" since they might not have the same sense of aesthetic appreciation as you and your friends. (Hey! If they don't like it, they can make their own art!) If you decide to document your actions, it's best to do it at a later time, and be sure that none of your friends faces are visible.
*This is an exercise in collaborative acts of meditation, willful engagement, and material transformation. You can do this in the daytime too, but nocturnal operations tend to be more mirthful and help induce perceptual shifts (both spatially and experientially).
5) Create a disguise for yourself that allows you to navigate everyday life without drawing much attention. This should be different from your normal attire. Spend the day in disguise performing leisurely or mildly adventuresome activities. Possibilities include:
a) Choose someone at random and follow them from a distance for at least fifteen minutes. Then follow someone else. When you grow tired of following people, find someone who looks lost and try leading them to their destination.
b) Visit a factory or place of industry and ask for a tour. Ask lots of provocative questions, then ask for a job. Tell them you can't do much, but you're interested in something at the executive level.
c) Go to at least three different places of worship. Check out the interior design. Explore a little. If someone is in attendance, strike up a conversation about the "afterlife" or "special religious foods."
d) Go to a bank with your video camera and ask the security guard or branch manager if you can record there. When s/he says "no" then ask how many security cameras they have installed. If they ask "why?" tell them you're "just doing research" or "conducting a survey of banks" or "interested in security."
*This is an exercise in shape shifting, personal transformation, and casting illusions as well as observing how "authorities" respond to subtle challenges beyond the status quo. The disguise will help empower you to act "out of character;" besides, if you can't change yourself how do you expect to change the reality around you?
-Center for Tactical Magic [via Rhizome]
Posted by jo at June 27, 2005 04:12 AM
