To what end, Paradise? Notes for an island, 2017 "A tall man in a white suit standing in the sunset on the shore. In his hands he holds objects of a remarkable complexity, surely these are not the product of man, such wonders, technological marvels. These can only be things from another realm, gifts from the ancestors, artefacts to be revered above anything else, such precious cargo. Over time the news of these developments spreads, through networks of communication, technology at once item and myth spreading and purporting its own worth. Gradually movements form and cultures develop, a new localism derived from the article itself and also the promise it delivers, technology indistinguishable from magic. A tool offering a sense of freedom, be it through accessibility, mastery, or even transparency. On occasion the man was seen again, at least according to those who were there at the time. The promise of the cargo reiterated and refreshed in the collective imagination. Driving aspiration and desire, binding an identity of place through shared will to possess and realise these objects, bringing wealth and prosperity to the island." Extract; ‘To what end, Paradise? Notes for an island’
To what end, Paradise? Notes for an island, 2017 "A tall man in a white suit standing in the sunset on the shore. In his hands he holds objects of a remarkable complexity, surely these are not the product of man, such wonders, technological marvels. These can only be things from another realm, gifts from the ancestors, artefacts to be revered above anything else, such precious cargo. Over time the news of these developments spreads, through networks of communication, technology at once item and myth spreading and purporting its own worth. Gradually movements form and cultures develop, a new localism derived from the article itself and also the promise it delivers, technology indistinguishable from magic. A tool offering a sense of freedom, be it through accessibility, mastery, or even transparency. On occasion the man was seen again, at least according to those who were there at the time. The promise of the cargo reiterated and refreshed in the collective imagination. Driving aspiration and desire, binding an identity of place through shared will to possess and realise these objects, bringing wealth and prosperity to the island." Extract; ‘To what end, Paradise? Notes for an island’
ANDREW FRIEND
Text commissioned for ‘Understanding Territoriality, Identity, Place and Possession’, Published by the Understanding Territoriality Project, Creative Europe Program, European Union, 2017. Produced following the ‘Shifting Place’ research residency, Curated by Giusy Checola, Fondazione Pistolletto, Biella, Italy