Autonomous Republic Declared in Dublin

international | miscellaneous | news report Friday February 20, 2009 01:34 by Citizen of the Autonomous Republic of Creative Practitio

Series of autonomous zones expected to follow Dublin independence declaration

The flag of the world's newest republic

An previously unknown anarchic group of artists are believed to be behind the proclamation of an autonomous republic on O'Connell Bridge in Dublin yesterday.

The newly formed collective, intent on preserving creative autonomy and artistic freedom, claimed temporary ownership of a section of the famous Dublin landmark and named it 'The Autonomous Republic of Creative Practitioners'.

It is thought that this Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) will now continue to exist in a virtual space online and may be re-formed by the artists at future times and alternative locations globally. Upcoming locations for 2009 include London, Berlin, San Francisco and Geneva. "We aim to have a global link where possible by creating our Temporary Autonomous Zones (TAZ) in view of an existing live webcam", a spokeperson for the world's latest Republic told Indymedia Ireland. "Our art interventions and events may therefore be viewed globally. The concept exists beyond the form of the art object. It is not for sale," she said.

The viral nature of the idea behind the declaration suggests that temporary autonomous zones (TAZ) linked to the collective will now spring up in different places and times."A TAZ is a physical manifestation of a state of mind: freedom of expression, creative autonomy and artistic independence," said the spokesperson. "From here on, the TAZ of this Republic will not necessarily be declared in advance but may occur spontaneously and without warning," she added before declaring independence with the following words:

The Provisional Government of the
AUTONOMOUS REPUBLIC OF CREATIVE PRACTITIONERS

To the Global Community:
We declare the right of the creative practitioner to the
ownership of a mapped section of this world and to
the independent control of this territory.
In every generation, the artist has asserted their right to freedom of expression
and creative autonomy: therefore we hereby proclaim
'The Autonomous Republic of Creative Practitioners'
as a sovereign and independent state
and we pledge to work creatively and with purpose towards the cause of its freedom,
of its welfare and of its exaltation among the nations of the world.
The Autonomous Republic offers to support and be supported
by each and every creative practitioner
The Republic guarantees equal rights and opportunities
to all its citizens and declares its resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation
and of all its parts, cherishing all the creative citizens of the nation equally.
Until our borders are mapped to mark the opportune moment
for the establishment of the Republic,
a provisional national boundary hereby constituted,
will hold the Republic in trust for the people.
After the dissolution of such boundaries of the Republic,
this mapped territory may continue to exist in a virtual state.
At this supreme hour we place the cause of the
Autonomous Republic under the protection of
'The Society of Creative Liberty and Freedom of Expression'.

The idea of Temporary Autonomous Zones was fledged by Hakim Bey, who wrote an essay of the same title. "Are we who live in the present doomed never to experience autonomy, never to stand for one moment on a bit of land ruled only by freedom? Are we reduced either to nostalgia for the past or nostalgia for the future? Must we wait until the entire world is freed of political control before even one of us can claim to know freedom?", asked Bey. (http://www.hermetic.com/bey/taz_cont.html).

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