UBE-urban bicycle exchange- COMMUNISM exhibition- project
dublin |
arts and media |
news report 
Saturday February 05, 2005 13:39
by dunk
fuspey at yahoo dot co dot uk
open systems rock. add your input
urban bicycle exchange
Temporary bike workshop where old or abandoned bikes can be brought and fixed by whoever wants to keep them. Bring along an old bike, or come along and bring home a new one.
Contact: wheelsmobiles@hotmail.com
other interesting stuff........
open exhibition @ project gallery, temple bar: COMMUNISM
as part of it;
"Further afield, Seamus Nolan will set up an open workshop in an unused shop space, where abandoned and reclaimed bicycles will be reconfigured into working machines"
COMMUNISM
A Group Show
21 JAN - 27 FEB
Gallery
Admission Free
indymedia stuff was part of an earlier "red archive" exhibition in this gallery in may04.
"communication actions" happened around city and outside gallery, printflares were distributed, free screenings were put on.
more of these actions are planned for next saturday. we hope you can participate.
as part of last exhibition a "feedback session" was organised, as an open dialogue between the "activist" and the "artistic" community (perhaps there should not be a distinction, perhaps the artists need to get a little more REAL, perhaps the activists need to get a little more creative?)- very few "activists" participated, perhaps another attempt can be made. you can listen to an audio recording of part of that discussion here
http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/the_red_archive_discussion.mp3
you can view more info of that exhibiton here
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=65045&search_text=red%20archive
on a different note, considerable momentum is happening with the "activist" community, attempts are underway to create a social centre for dublin, "seomra spraoi" (play room in gaeilge)
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=67739
with the last event being the successfull "brazil night" which happened Friday, Jan 28 2005
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=68333
further info on COMMUNISM exhibition:
PROJECT ARTS CENTRE,
39 EAST ESSEX STREET, TEMPLE BAR, DUBLIN 2, IRELAND.
http://www.project.ie/cgi-bin/eventdetail.pl?id=289
best example of the kind of machines that could be made is rinkydink, a pedal, wind, solar powered mobile colorful sound system.
http://www.baka.co.uk/rinky/index.html
kids love it
free bikeworkshops set up last year in mountjoy square by screw loose society
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62281&search_text=bike%20workshop
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62395&search_text=bike%20workshop
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=62487&search_text=bike%20workshop
other examples of FUSPEY (fun, sustainablee, peaceful, existence) stuff here
http://easa.antville.org/stories/1014584/
regarding "modern art is bolix"-
art galleries could and should be one of the most exciting places in cities, for the most part, for many people, they are not. this is mainly due to the quality of the content and the fact that it is normally a one way thing- open participative evolving systems, such as 2 exhibitions mentioned above are great to see, we hope there is more of it.
equally "art" shouldent only happen in galleries. for many the highpoint is when art, politics, action, life come together- ie RTS, reclaim the streets
if you want to propose further stuff to do, fire ahead. do it- exhibition is on till feb 27
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2I went to this art exhibition. Wasnt impressed with it at all to be honest, didnt strike any sort of nerve or chord with me whatsoever. The photos of the people in various stages of drunkenness (vomiting, pissing, etc) was just childish. The chairs that had to be moved collectively were sitting there, and made for an uncomfortable waiting spot. The 'what is to be done' leaflets were OK - but hard to see any impact they would have when they're transported around art galleries. The table tennis plinth in O'Connell Street was alright - but hardly any creative or artistic merit, its something any Dublin City Council official could have thought up on his lunchbreak as a public amenity. Overall I would rate it as poor, and extremely far removed from any sort of activism that happens in the city. Never mind the argument about post-modern labelling of an ideology when put into practise killed millions of people and turned into a byword for oppression and hierarchy of the most brutal nature. But y'know, its in an art gallery so its alright... now I'm off up to the Mao restaurant for my noodles...
Whatever about the other exhibits being the usual unimpressive arty student cack, theres a real merit in the bike exchange. Its the sort of thing people have been saying would be a great boost to the activist community and a complement to the whole social centre idea for a while now.
Just open your eyes and look at the price of bikes in the city, look at the number of abanndoned bikes knokcing about chained to city fences and bike spaces. Then look at the costs of bike repairs. People are stripped of such basic skills as bike repair to render them essentially docile for ''experts in a sense to prey off them. Something like the bike workshop which erodes that idea of paying for expertise and reclaiming what capital, our governing force declares as scrap to share skills and help others construct products to take away and use is a fantastic example of what is possible when self organisation and mutual aid is put into practice.
Buying new bikes when there are so many scrapped, is a ludicrous impulse, but one we have bred into us through ads and general socialisation into capitalist society. The UBE in one sense highlights this absurdity and I'd say the idea has startled a lot of people used to paying nigh on twenty quids to experts to change their bike wheel. Fair play!
Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.