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In the back of my mind, I've wondered what uses the Guild may fill for firefolk more on the sculptural end of things. So far, we haven't had so much discussion there.
Seeing this announcement (thanks Mardi S!) I thought, "maybe this gives some clues as to what use we might be ..
"The Madagascar Institute is a space where people from all walks of life have learned that they too can radically express themselves; that they too can weld or solder or rig propane and learn all of the necessary skills to make their wildest dreams reality and change the way they look at the world. We built our Brooklyn shop from zero in two years. We want to do the same in Berlin, and spread the virus of radical creativity and the toolkit to make it a reality..." Chris Hackett, Madagascar Institute
On Saturday January 24 a machine art piece that
Chris Hackett, Founder of the Madagascar Institute in Brooklyn New York, was working on, detonated in his face. The explosion left him with broken bones in his face, a broken jaw, and burns throughout his body. Immediately after the accident, the NYPD pulled in an anti-terrorism team which proceeded to raid Chris?s home and the institute. The police confiscated all the computers, maps of various spots in New York City, and other professional materials.
The Madagascar Institute is a seminal arts organization in New York City. The artists at Madagascar have spearheaded dozens of street performances and events both in New York and around the world. Among their many performances are the Glastonbury Festival in England, Robodoc in Rotterdam, and has been a regular presence at Burning Man.
In addition to staging performances and creating art, The Madagascar Institute holds free and cheap classes on everything from sewing to welding and auto-repair. The Madagascar Institute has been able to harness the energy of many diverse communities and artists throughout New York and has been able to disseminate the message that spontaneous art is possible. With their educational programs the Institute has helped shape these individuals into skilled artists, welders, and machinists. Many of these artisans have in-turn moved-on to create their own projects and art throughout the country. For many people in New York City, the thought of welding or fabricating art out of metal was not ever an option. Madagascar Institute made it possible.
The Madagascar Institute's home in Brooklyn is in every way a community center for artists and the curious public. There are few organizations in New York City that have the capacity to create community and provide physical space for the community-- we want to make sure it survives.
Looking forward beyond the immediate concerns regarding our dear friend and the organization he founded, we need to raise awareness and generate dialogue in the arts community regarding the civil liberty implications for all of us. All of us need to gain a deeper understanding of our times, and step forward as a community to challenge the restrictive and questionably un-constitutuional compromises quietly unfolding in the name of Safety. Anything that can be considered subversive is by default linked to terrorist activity- and as of yet, there are no established legal precedents with which we can defend against this.
Like many working artists, Hackett has no medical insurance and no money to pay for the reconstructive surgery he will need. The only money Chris has is what he used to purchase the home for the Madagascar Institute.
Friday February the 13th there will be a benefit at SOMA ARTS to raise money and awareness for Chris and for Madagascar Institute.
We need volunteers.
Contact Laurie: ljsmimosa@yahoo.com.
West Coast PR and Media requests can sent to the the attention of Nina Alter: nina@nukaindustries.com
www.madagascarinstitute.org
Seeing this announcement (thanks Mardi S!) I thought, "maybe this gives some clues as to what use we might be ..
"The Madagascar Institute is a space where people from all walks of life have learned that they too can radically express themselves; that they too can weld or solder or rig propane and learn all of the necessary skills to make their wildest dreams reality and change the way they look at the world. We built our Brooklyn shop from zero in two years. We want to do the same in Berlin, and spread the virus of radical creativity and the toolkit to make it a reality..." Chris Hackett, Madagascar Institute
On Saturday January 24 a machine art piece that
Chris Hackett, Founder of the Madagascar Institute in Brooklyn New York, was working on, detonated in his face. The explosion left him with broken bones in his face, a broken jaw, and burns throughout his body. Immediately after the accident, the NYPD pulled in an anti-terrorism team which proceeded to raid Chris?s home and the institute. The police confiscated all the computers, maps of various spots in New York City, and other professional materials.
The Madagascar Institute is a seminal arts organization in New York City. The artists at Madagascar have spearheaded dozens of street performances and events both in New York and around the world. Among their many performances are the Glastonbury Festival in England, Robodoc in Rotterdam, and has been a regular presence at Burning Man.
In addition to staging performances and creating art, The Madagascar Institute holds free and cheap classes on everything from sewing to welding and auto-repair. The Madagascar Institute has been able to harness the energy of many diverse communities and artists throughout New York and has been able to disseminate the message that spontaneous art is possible. With their educational programs the Institute has helped shape these individuals into skilled artists, welders, and machinists. Many of these artisans have in-turn moved-on to create their own projects and art throughout the country. For many people in New York City, the thought of welding or fabricating art out of metal was not ever an option. Madagascar Institute made it possible.
The Madagascar Institute's home in Brooklyn is in every way a community center for artists and the curious public. There are few organizations in New York City that have the capacity to create community and provide physical space for the community-- we want to make sure it survives.
Looking forward beyond the immediate concerns regarding our dear friend and the organization he founded, we need to raise awareness and generate dialogue in the arts community regarding the civil liberty implications for all of us. All of us need to gain a deeper understanding of our times, and step forward as a community to challenge the restrictive and questionably un-constitutuional compromises quietly unfolding in the name of Safety. Anything that can be considered subversive is by default linked to terrorist activity- and as of yet, there are no established legal precedents with which we can defend against this.
Like many working artists, Hackett has no medical insurance and no money to pay for the reconstructive surgery he will need. The only money Chris has is what he used to purchase the home for the Madagascar Institute.
Friday February the 13th there will be a benefit at SOMA ARTS to raise money and awareness for Chris and for Madagascar Institute.
We need volunteers.
Contact Laurie: ljsmimosa@yahoo.com.
West Coast PR and Media requests can sent to the the attention of Nina Alter: nina@nukaindustries.com
www.madagascarinstitute.org
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benefit show update
Tue, February 10, 2004 - 12:47 PMinfo will continue to be updated here: www.laughingsquid.org/sfmad/
Friday the 13th of February, 2004
SomArts
934 Brannan Street
San Francisco
9:00pm-5:00am
21+
Sliding-Scale cover, To Be Announced
Master of Ceremonies
$teven Ra$pa
Film presentations by:
Survival Research Laboratories (SRL)
SEEMEN
Performances by:
Cyclecide Bicycle Rodeo
Zero Boy (NYC)
Special presentation by Madagascar Institute artists (straight outta Brooklyn)
Bands:
Attaboy & Burke
Mongoloid
Beanweevils
The Kid Beyond-Master Beatboxer
Mixtape From Mars
The Mobb
Beats all night:
LAIRD (House, Breaks)
SHAPESHIFTER (Seattle SpaceVirgins/ Drum &Bass, Breaks)
THE SPACE COWBOYS
ADAM OHANA (An-Ten-Nae/CEIBA, New Skool Break-beat)
ROBB RAYLE (Koinonea/CEIBA, Trance, Downtempo)
DJ PUSS PUSS (Lounge)
Additional Goodies:
Monsieur Phoenix
Rockstar Bartending: Flash and Family
Mistress Levine's Silent Auction
Altar to our Lady of Preventable Accidents
***Special appearances to be announced***
The story:
On Saturday January 24, Chris Hackett, Founder of the Madagascar Institute in Brooklyn, New York, sustained massive physical injuries when an explosive art-piece he was developing detonated in his face. The explosion left him with broken bones in his face, a broken jaw, and burns throughout his body. Like many working artists, Hackett has no medical insurance and no money to pay for the reconstructive surgery he will need for his face. In response to the explosion, the NYPD sent their anti-terrorism unit to The Institute and confiscated all of the Institute's computers, maps of various spots in New York City, and other personal and professional materials.
The Madagascar Institute is a seminal arts organization in New York City. The Institute's artists have spearheaded dozens of street performances and events both in New York and around the world. Including: Glastonbury Festival in England, Robodoc in Rotterdam, and have been a regular presence at the Burning Man festival. In addition to staging performances and creating art, The Madagascar Institute holds both free and inexpensive classes on everything from sewing, to welding and auto-repair. People from all over New York's many diverse communities are drawn to The Madagascar Institute. The Institute has helped shape these individuals into skilled artists, welders, and machinists and many of these artisans have in turn moved on to create their own projects and art throughout the country.
The purpose of the benefit at SomArts is two-fold. Firstly, to raise much needed monies to cover Chris Hackett's exorbitant medical expenses and to keep The Institute afloat while he recuperates. Secondly, to rouse dialogue in the creative community as a whole, to discuss legal, privacy, and other First Amendment issues pressingly relevant to artists in the post-September Eleventh anti-terror sociopolitical climate.
Volunteers contact Laurie Schoeman: sfmadbenefit@yahoo.com
Media/PR contact Nina Alter: nina@bigwheel.net
If you can't attend the event and wish to directly donate to Chris' medical fund via Paypal, please visit the Madagascar Institute website.
ART IS
PERMITTED
EVERYWHERE
Last updated: February 8, 2004
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ANOTHER Artist Arrested as Terrorist!!
Tue, April 6, 2004 - 7:27 AMLast week some of our community members played an April Fools hoax with the hopes of raising our awareness of some of the current threats to our artistic freedoms. The threat is real, and we need to be even more aware of ignorant people and the things they will do when they are uneducated and filled with irrational fears.
Here's what happened to a friend in my area this weekend:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4658777/
And remember, if you get into a situation, be respectful & cooprative. At least until they put the guns away. -
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Re: ANOTHER Artist Arrested as Terrorist!!
Tue, April 6, 2004 - 4:19 PMYes, the threat is real. How can we, as a community, protect ourselves from such threats? What steps can we take to assure our freedoms? How can we safegaurd our community and our choice of artistic expression? What about a 'collective' statement to the gov't? What about consulting with lawyers that specialize in arson and such? In the hopes that we can protect ourselves and our artform's future, Kandice -
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Re: ANOTHER Artist Arrested as Terrorist!!
Wed, April 7, 2004 - 2:38 PMsome things we can do:
1) Take the high road. Remember Mom. When trapped in these situations, roll your eyes and wait for them to be done. Be polite. look at your watch. If you do it right, by the time they leave you alone they'll be totally apologetic, will be so ashamed of the way they've treated you that they will think twice about ever doing it to anyone else.
2) Documentation. MDSD sheets, insurance, a printed copy of your safety plan, and some documentation of your show or art piece. if its been written up anywhere - newspaper, website, flyers - make a copy and put that in the stack. put copies of all this stuff in your car's glovebox and in your travel cases. If plausible assume they're genuinely interested in your cool show. They'll feel like shit for having doubted you.
3) display safety symbols. visible fire extinguishers always! I have never used a fire extinguisher in relation to my act or art, and never intend to. But its the first thing I pull out of the trunk, it always stays where everyone can see it, and its the last thing I repack.
Its a symbol - it says "this guy is paying attention to safety." in language that everyone can understand at a glance. When people see fire extinguishers, they relax!
4) Solidarity. Continue to work as we are here, to create industry standards for safety, consensus and group action by our community (and perhaps some additional documentation) and good rapport with fire depts..
Invite your fire-friends here, to continue building the fire guild.
5) PR. Look for opportunities to work with others who've been impacted, to create art/performance that reminds people that theres something going on, that needs to be changed.
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Re: ANOTHER Artist Arrested as Terrorist!!
Fri, April 9, 2004 - 1:25 AMThis is my boss.
I can't say I know more about the situation than others, nor can I allude to details, as I was not on the scene. In his honor, he went to the gas station in his ambulance (our work truck), not driving the flame throwing art car, as much fun as that would be. He didn't play an april fools joke, he was intending to fill his propane tanks for his art car, and camper to take to the BC Recompression.
As I've worked with him through the week, I've seen him suffering with a great deal of stress, including but not limited to post traumatic stress from the arrest. Being arrested at gun point is not much fun, it's designed to be freaky. And oddly a tremendous amount of stress from a sort of premanition of impending doom the evening before, (that was a dark conversation I wasn't prepared for). As well as the resulting media amd legal folkd hounding him all day. What he went through last week will negatively effect this gentle man for the rest of his life.
Be patient, prespectful and cooperative are all good rules to live by, but it doesn't take the horror out of the reality of the harshness such threats are treated with. No amount of eyerolling or watch glancing is going to help you get through it with your face pressed into the pavement and handcuffed - and will probably result to more severe treatment.
While the very idea of educating the public of Real Threats should be entertained by the Department of Homeland Security. It smells of McCarthyism, and pre WWII Germany, ick. -
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Re: ANOTHER Artist Arrested as Terrorist!!
Fri, April 9, 2004 - 12:45 PM> Be patient, prespectful and cooperative are all good rules to live by, but it doesn't take the horror out of the reality of the harshness such threats are treated with. No amount of eyerolling or watch glancing is going to help you get through it with your face pressed into the pavement and handcuffed - and will probably result to more severe treatment.
> While the very idea of educating the public of Real Threats should be entertained by the Department of Homeland Security. It smells of McCarthyism, and pre WWII Germany, ick.
I am *very* sorry to hear the scale of impact this incident has had, on you and yours. I in no way intended to minimise the horror of it.
The fact is, this is the era we live in, and we are the people we are.
Allow me to give another example. For another week or so, I am physically in a medium-sized city in middle America. Two days ago, at two in the afternoon on a sunny day, I took a short walk to the corner of the block on which the house I was staying at is located. I didn't stop, I spoke to no-one, I walked on nobody's grass, I didn't even look at anybody funny. I was dressed in very non-descript and middle-class fashion - the only thing the slightest bit unusual was my hair -you can see what it looks like in my tribe profile.
By the time I was stepping on the first stair to go back into my friend's house - from a 5-minute walk in broad daylight - a sherriff's car was whizzing up in front of the house, and a man in uniform was getting out and asking for my ID.
Despite the fact that we've had the message screamed at us for 2.5 years, many of us still have not processed the full impact of the statement we all have tattooed on our brains:
9.11 changed *everything*.
Have you read the Patriot Act? McCarthyism did not have the force of law behind it that is now in effect. If you have not given serious thought to what this means to *you*, then perhaps you should.
How did I handle my incident? Exactly as I described in my earlier post. I made no attempt to conceal my annoyance at having been inconvenienced. I also was fully aware that this particular man was doing his best to do his job as he saw it, and I did not interfere with him doing his job in any way. The whole thing lasted less than 10 minutes, and he apologized and left me alone.
You're not going to catch me offering advice that I haven't tested myself.
Q, my intent with that point which you responded to was not to be pollyannaish, or to take your friend's situation lightly in any way.
The five points, taken as a whole, were intended to demonstrate responses *at different levels*, from the immediate to the general, based on the principle of Satyagraha - of speaking truth and accepting consequences, while minimizing negative impact where possible. (Satyahgraha is the principle from which Gandhi derived his doctrine of nonviolent resistence)
The kind of incidents described in this thread are not isolated ones. They characterize the time and place in which we live. It is time we all gave some hard thought to our responses to that fact.
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