Page 31 - 50.La Biennale di Venezia issue of World of Art Magazine

ARSENALE

Juan Maidagan and Dolores Zinny (Argentina-USA), Carolina Caycedo possible the effective functioning of the society in all its aspects, such as
(Colombia-UK), Fernanda Gomes (Brasil), Mikael Levin (USA-France) and political system, economy, knowledge, etc. In this respect, the concept
Marjetica Potrc (Slovenia). The show will also include works of a selected of system reflects the “positive” side of the modern world. This positive,
group of historical figures like Gego (Venezuela) and Robert Smithson (USA). utopian perspective on modernity, however, has its “negative” side, too.
Modernity is not merely a utopia, project, and rational organization, it is
INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS also tension, struggle and conflict.
CURATED BY IGOR ZABEL This becomes obvious through a number of oppositions, which are
Ideas of ordered systems - in technology, knowledge, society, and culture, essential for the modern condition: individual vs. society, the particular
are an essential part of modernity. The concept of system, however, vs. the universal, the local vs. the global, freedom vs. the institutionalized
also reveals the heterogeneous and contradictory nature of modernity. order. These oppositions, however, reflect deeper antagonisms in modern
Modernity is, of course, connected to the ideas of a rational and ordered society, i.e. antagonisms based on the class differences, the (post)colonial
knowledge, of a well-planned and effective production, of an effective power relations, gender, etc. Thus, the nihilistic dimension of the modern
management of space and resources, of a rationally organized and project becomes visible. Modernity can be experienced as discomfort (cf.
balanced social structure, etc. In such a context, organized systems Mladen Stilinovic, Viktor Alimpiev & Marian Zhunin). System and utopian
represent means to achieve these goals and thus, finally, a balanced world vision tend to destroy the existing reality in the name of the future
offering to everyone possibilities for a good and meaningful life. They make perfect world (e.g. in the communist projects). It represents oppression

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