Ruinous Collaboration

I mean ruinous in the good way, the way that demolishes oppressive forces and wrecks unethical enactments of power. I was thinking of a book I've been reading for a course I'm developing: "Art, Activism, and Citizenship." The book is Empires, Ruins + Networks: The Transcultural Agenda in Art, edited by Scott McQuire and Nikos Papastergiadis.

Here is a quote from page 19: "Historically, collectives tend to emerge during periods of crisis; in moments of social upheaval and political uncertainty within society." While it is arguable that trauma can actually be quite constant, and that there are, sadly, hotspots of conflict and pain all around the globe most of the time, there is some merit in this notion of uprising as a response. But how about uprising as a strategic intervention prior to things reaching the crisis point? An emerging critical mass might not always succeed in terms of their motivations, but there is an ethical imperative in the very attempt to voice dissent. Another quote: "Terror begins when the voice of the other is denied, displaced or disfigured" (p. 7). Misrepresentation is a real danger.

Given the potential of collaboration to be ruinous, how, then, to bring this to the classroom level, often so remote from the blood and guts of capitalism, colonialism, terrorism? How to get students to work productively and collaboratively (when they so often sigh and roll their eyes when forced into group work)? Projects have to be hands-on, relevant to the current climate, and applicable to their concerns. Any collaborative project should have clear goals and measurable outcomes. If it makes a difference, if it changes the class dynamic, if it invigorates and energizes debate and renews commitment to a just cause, then it should be shared widely with other students and instructors as a model for projects in diverse disciplines.

Network, networking, net worth.

Sandroid