Syndicate: war&aesthetics?

["Ana Peraica" <ana.peraica@st.tel.hr> (by way of Andreas Broeckmann)]

A note to a war & aesthetics topic;

A quick overview of Croatian political newspaper analysis on war in
neighbours

Recently in Croatia interpretations of Serbian great comedies, black humour
and theatricality in relation to their war behaviour appeared. While during
Croatian war Serbian movies were secretly imported; as Black Bombardier, We?
re not Angels, Underground and others, and from that production most of
Croatian ones was criticised as being boring and humourless, today?s
political interpretations take similar (but not completely the same)
?aesthetics? to approve their current mass behaviour ?tasteless?.  But if a
criterion is applied from one to other field, although mass behaviour and
mass culture are not too divided, the same time contingency appears. Turns
on one hand ?acting victims? while regarded as an separated phenomena
suggests some fake, and on the other hand if regarded under a specific
cultural phenomena, turns to be a consequent to reality; a cultural reality.
So, which interpretation generally to consider worst? One implies
non-authenticity and the other signifies the nation, this time as harlequins
and court amusers. Although none implied either, those could be read between
the lines. But at the same time all would admit; it is strange behaviour,
and it is mass.

So, while a lot of newspaper war interpretations consider a new pathetic
proudless dramatisation in ?playing a role of victims?, those
?culture-political critics? do give them some contingency explanations, and
do not evaluate political issues, such would be some truths and propaganda,
but take stylistical point.  As both do use vocabulary of theatrology and
movie criticism, and oftenly mix, combinations appear, as well.

But esthetical analysis seems more interesting, as the other was known
before. This one considers a variety of expressions; from humorous black
parody provocation of countries formerly being in war with, to that
extremely kitsch overgraduation. Sometimes they can derive theoretical
consideration and although only in draft a new applied theatrology of war
arises, with reconsideration of concepts such as main role, mass role,
historical show, cosmography...  All in one and particular war.

And one conclusion on a phenomena appears; for the first time the whole
state appears to be a real stage for a piece who?s detailed characteristics
can be identified, not only spectacle is used as a metaphor.  Although it
reveals in a way Debord /La Societe du Spectacle, 1967;  none mentions him.
Maybe even better, as would produce immediately some ?ideology consummation?
theories that could not be so located on one nation.
So, it stays on esthetical analysis, with a basic presupposition of Serbia
as a comedy itself.

In 1991 Tito?s Yugoslavia was the one that was named ?phantom funny
 creature?, but seems as Serbia legally token a name of it, the same time
got the interpretation. The one now connected to their theatre and movie
production.

So, what is a final critical conclusion of esthetical interpretation is;
although Serbs really had sense from humorous scenarios, especially black
comedies, new circumstances made it totally boring and an sad overgraduated
dramatisation. So, instead of their well-known hard humour, there are some
pathetic and sensational kitsch versions of satire, so farse. Dialogues
constantly repeat, such as ?world is against us? or ?we are piece-keepers?.

Without entering too deep, that could mean that ?Balkan Baroque? /focus
through a single art piece that probably opened a discourse/ behaviour
turned into a ?Balkan Rococo?; a kitsch pulp version of the former;
untastefull musical background on public places, detailed ornaments on all
public expressions /T-shirts, badges, whole iconography of dressing.../ A
totally new iconography; instead of communist or national symbols, a
circumstances that made their conjunction created a victim iconography, but
with no sense. So, for example; targets in this war are not human, black
dressed woman are usually in ?corota? in honour the one that already died...

One of texts is written by Boris Dezulovic, from non-government magazine
Feral. Text IMAGINE obviously reveals old hippies? hymn regarding a role of
"peace-makers with targets". And at the same time shows how to recognise
them, by contrasting examples of real immediate war behaviour. Imagination
is needed for a scene?

ana.


IMAGINE
"Boris Dezulovic"

IMAGINE that Nato holds lines around Belgrade and none can move out or in
town.
IMAGINE that from soliters in suburbs of Belgrade Nato snaiperists shoot
woman and children.
IMAGINE eight thousands of dead childrean and youth under 18 in Belgrade
IMAGINE Nato comandos take all wounded from VMA and kill them, for example
on Zvezdan
IMAGINE Nato soldiers take ALL men out of Belgrade and shoot them with
knifes and bullets.
IMAGINE Nato comandos enter your houses and rape your daughters
IMAGINE they shoot on you while you wait for bread and water in lines
IMAGINE drunk Nato soldiers from fun ruin your monasteries /I do think
REALLY ruin/ and latter convince world you did it your own.

Or maybe like this:
IMAGINE that Karadzic's artilleria instead of people shot only factories and
aerodroms.
IMAGINE Vucuric's artilery excused Dubrovnik for mistakes in shooting their
aerodrom.
IMAGINE people from Srebrenica demonstrated with posters "Target" on their
chesters.
IMAGINE people from Sibenik with their bodies were defending Sibenik's
bridge
IMAGINE people from Vukovar had shelters.


There are a lot of us that don't acompany Nato's airplanes with flowers and
rakija, and ones that did not want all of that. But, there were at least two
people at Dedinje who not only wished but packaged it for you. I wish you
all the happyness, and in the meaning time you just try to IMAGINE and
THINK.
Good luck and greetings from Split.

-----Original Message-----
From: Zvonimir Bakotin <zone@basis.Desk.nl>
To: Ana Peraica <ana.peraica@st.tel.hr>
Date: 1999. svibanj 18 02:51
Subject: zamislite by dezulovic

>ZAMISLITE
>"Boris De&#158;uloviæ"
>
>
>ZAMISLITE da Nato drzi polozaje oko Beograda i da nitko ne moze ni iz grada
>ni u grad.
>ZAMISLITE da sa nebodera na periferiji Beograda Nato-ovi snajperisti pucaju
>po zenama i djeci.
>ZAMISLITE u Beogradu osam tisuca mrtve djece i mladih do 18 godina.
>ZAMISLITE da Nato-ovi komandosi izvedu iz VMA sve ranjenike i poubijaju ih
>na, recimo, Zvezdari.
>ZAMISLITE da Nato-ovi vojnici izvedu iz Beograda SVE muskarce i poubijaju
ih
>nozevima i rafalima.
>ZAMISLITE da Nato-ovi avioni bacaju bombe nasumice po gradu.
>ZAMISLITE da vam Nato-ovi komandosi upadaju po kucama i siluju vase kceri.
>ZAMISLITE da pucaju po vama dok cekate kruh i vodu.
>ZAMISLITE da vam pijani Nato-ovci iz zajebancije ruse manastire (mislim,
>STVARNO ruse), i poslije uvjeravaju svijet da ste sami palili gume.
>
>Ili mozda ovako:
>
>ZAMISLITE da su Karadzicevi artiljerci umjesto ljudi gadjali tvornice i
>aerodrome.
>ZAMISLITE da su se Vucurevicevi topnici izvinjavali Dubrovniku zbog gresaka
>u gadjanju dubrovackog aerodroma.
>ZAMISLITE da su gradjani Sarajeva odrzavali svakodnevne koncerte na
gradskim
>ulicama.
>ZAMISLITE da su gradjani Srebrenice demonstrirali s plakatima "Target" na
>prsima.
>ZAMISLITE da su gradjani Sibenika svojim tijelima branili sibenski most.
>ZAMISLITE da su gradjani Vukovara imali sklonista.
>
>Ima nas ovdje dosta koji Nato-ove avione ne ispracamo s cvijecem i rakijom,
>i koji vam ovo nisu zeljeli. Znam, medjutim, barem dvoje ljudi na Dedinju
>koji su vam ovo ne samo zeljeli, nego i spakovali.
>Zelim vam svaku srecu, a vi u medjuvremenu barem na kratko ZAMISLITE.
>I RAZMISLITE.
>Sretno i pozdrav iz Splita!
>


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