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Presentation at bookstore 'ΔΕΝΤΡΟ' - tree - in Rhodes, 1.12.2012
Invitation to the presentation on 1st of December 2012
at
ΔΕΝΤΡΟ (Tree) Bookstore
'IMPERISHABLE WATER and the open question of development'
Public presentation of the catalogue at the bookshop 'Tree' in Rhodes
The curator of Poiein kai Prattein, Charoula Hadjinicolaou comes from Rhodes and given her knowledge of the cultural and natural resources of the island, she organized in a well thought through action on Rhodes during May/June 2011. The aim was to come to terms with 'water / wetland related issues and the open question of development.' Out of this emerged the publication of a catalogue which reflects the action as if dipping into a 'biotope of ideas'. All the more was the interest to present the catalogue to people in Rhodes at the bookshop 'Tree' in Rhodes, 1st of December 2012.
Η αστική μη κερδοσκοπική εταιρεία ΠΟΙΕΙΝ & ΠΡΑΤΤΕΙΝ και το βιβλιοπωλείο ΤΟ ΔΕΝΤΡΟ σας προσκαλούν σε εκδήλωση στο χώρο του βιβλιοπωλείου, Θεμιστοκλή Σοφούλη 127, το Σάββατο 1 Δεκεμβρίου 2012, ώρα 7.30 μμ., για την παρουσίαση του βιβλίου Άφθαρτα νερά. Φύση, τέχνη και συλλογική δράση στους υγροτόπους της Ρόδου.
Θα μιλήσουν οι επιμελήτριες της έκδοσης Άννα Αρβανιτάκη, χωροτάκτης-πολεοδόμος και Χαρούλα Χατζηνικολάου, ιστορικός τέχνης, η Μαριολίνα Corsini-Φωκά, βιολόγος, η Μαρία Μπακαρή, οργανωσιακή ψυχολόγος και ο Νίκος Κασέρης, φωτογράφος.
Θα ακολουθήσει συζήτηση για τις περιβαλλοντικές προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει το νησί και τις δυνατότητες ανάδειξης μιας εναλλακτικής αναπτυξιακής προοπτικής με τη συμβολή της τέχνης και του πολιτισμού.
Preparing
Anna Arvanitaki, Maria Bakari, Haroula Hadjinicolaou
Introduction
'Lessons of matter' (Lehre der Materie) is the title of a book by Ernst Bloch who was one of the few philosophers who went beyond 'crude Materialism', a phenomenon prone to be cultivated not merely by orthodox Marxists but as well by those who had given in to Consumerism and therefore to the fetish of things. As this was a part of the criticism by Herbert Marcuse e.g. 'one dimensional man' or by Th.W. Adorno, it meant such a discussion belonged to an era which was just emerging out of Second World War and faced a path of development known in the West as 'economic growth' with no tolerance for 'unemployment'.
At the same time, there was felt a loss of nature as the coming of the car meant more and more space was encroached upon. In organizational terms, the car and the truck allowed for a decentralized distribution system, so that even remote corners could be reached. This allowed in turn the spreading out of human settlements. So it happened that more and more wild places, unknown areas of the world to man, disappeared rapidly. The combination of discovers' curiosities and technological possibilities set the world an ever greater expansion course so that nowadays the global economy has become the key concept.
And where does this leave the senses and sense perception in a world gone virtual? It was reflected in the writings by Kolakowski, 'Certainty of the Senses', since this crisis had affected deeply philosophical thought ever since Hegel stated that the senses along with poetry could not be "a source of truth."
Interesting is once flowers are put on the table, it is no longer just an ordinary event for those who are accustomed that presentations in a book shop are dry, even though authors try hard to evoke the imagination of their audiences.
The 'unusual' Opening
Anna Arvanitaki besides one person from the audience
The opening was unusual as the persons (about 40) who came to the bookstore were asked as entry to give their name and to state what issue they considered to be of utmost urgency and therefore in need to be dealt with in Rhodes. The concept for this was developed by Maria Bakari who favors interactions with the audiences.
Audience seated in-between book counters
The presentations
were made by Nikos Kasseris who pointed out the major issues on Rhodes (along with a slide presentation similar to what he showed already during the workshop held in Lindos, Rhodes in 2011)
and by Haroula Hadjinicolaou, Marie Forska- , Maria Bakari and Anna Arvanitaki
Haroula Hadjinicolaou
Haroula Hadjinicolaou ended her presentation with reference to the future as envisioned by land artist Insa Winkler to be in a field of daisies.
The other presenters
Maria Corsini-Foka and Maria Bakari
The three thematic tables
Table 1: hosted by Soteris Fokas
Environment and Policy Incompatabilities
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Table 2: hosted by Haroula Hadjinicolaou
Art, Education, Ecology
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Table 3: hosted by Nikos Kasseris
Medieval city
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The presentation was on Saturday, and it started after 19.30, so that it was a question of not only how many would show up, since there were that evening altogether four different book presentations across the town of Rhodes. But Saturday evening is usually a time for going out and thus it was a question how long would people stay since by 21.30 it was getting rather late. Crucial was that some key people stayed to give support, while Maria Bakari showed her ability in handling people. Needless to say there were some typical forms of behavior e.g. the two politicians who were present just made a short speech and then they departed immediately thereafter. It means what in terms of a further going interaction when the form is no longer merely top down but truly bottom-up? The subsequent discussion did bring about a harvest of ideas which had been written down on coloured paper and hung in the net used to display a link to the workshop on Rhodes last year. For then Insa Winkler, land artist, found along the shoreline below Lindos a red fishing net. She took it with her wherever the people of the workshop went and collected on the way plastic bottles. Later on, the net was used as a metaphor for connecting people, for networking as an art to not only connect, but keep people together so that they would catch the many small and big fishes swimming in their water.
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Text: Hatto Fischer
Photos: Maria Corsini-Foka
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