The MoCA - A look from January 2007

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Chicago Kipling
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The MoCA - A look from January 2007

Post by Chicago Kipling »

It's come to my attention thanks to TOPGenosse and recent party platforms that the MoCA and the Neufreistadt school are again hot topics. In particular, there is great concern that these institutions and especially the MoCA not lie dormant for another season. That is an excellent concern and one I very much value from everyone involved.

It is understandable that some may have thought myself and Rubaiyat, tasked with getting the MoCA moving, either incapable or unwilling to achieve the task and taken it upon themselves to move forward. Rubaiyat is very busy setting up very successful first and second life exhibits. I've experienced a family loss and significant life challenges that limited my time in SL severely. I was sad though that so many assumed these things without speaking to me after my very visible steps forward in collecting Colonia Nova artifacts. At very least an e-mail inquiry from party leaders or concerned people could have been sent. Perhaps they were sent to Rubaiyat. At this point consider it forgotten.

Moving forward, two new approaches have been suggested:
1. That we create a general exhibit with whatever takers come and place them through various members.
2. That we allow someone like Delia to curate a show in a hands on manner with guidance from the MoCA board.

Ultimately I don't think either has been proposed as the only correct direction, but I think Rubaiyat and I agree that the second may be preferable. Option 1 still requires a curator who will both put up and maintain art in the building. As of yet, no one has volunteered for that role under the leadership of the MoCA board.

To this end, I've sent an e-mail to Delia concerning her interest and will process that with Rubaiyat. I think I have some standing to make that decision as the board is still paying some rental money for the property and as Rubaiyat and I have worked together to lead the board in the latest incarnations.

I welcome with wide arms all those who wish to submit art for consideration of exhibition like TOPGenosse in the mean time. I also welcome party officials and elected officials to talk to myself or Rubaiyat via e-mail, in person or via telegram with their concerns or suggestions.

I don't want to exclude anyone, but some order needs to be maintained and this is not quite so simple ;) an issue as the reform of a city organ like the guild.

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Post by Beathan »

Chicago --

I do not think it is fair to blame either you or Rubaiyat for the slowness in bringing the MoCA up to its full potential. Such organizations are slow going -- in RL and in Sl.

However, if there is blame to be placed on people, let me stand with you and Rubaiyat at the stoning wall. I too am on the Board, and I too have not stepped up to fill the "curator" role.

I think that we can fruitfully include this discussion not just along with our discussions about the Guild -- but as part of that discussion. SL artists are a recognized and Guild-worthy SL profession. Hosts, including curators, are also a recognized and Guild-worthy SL profession. I think we should group these issues and solve them both together.

Beathan

Let's keep things simple enough to be fair, substantive enough to be effective, and insightful enough to be good.
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Post by Sleazy_Writer »

Hi BV, now you're online:

What are your thoughts (as a Board member) on Chicago's option (1) ?
(In fact what I advocate in my post on the CARE subforum)

Rephrasing it: A general/random exhibit/collection, but overseen/scrutinized by a curator.

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Post by Chicago Kipling »

I understand that this has become quite the political topic, but let's stay focused here. Beacon is one of the board members. You're welcome to solicit his opinion and even suggest he move us in a direction, but you really do need to speak to myself or Rubaiyat.

And to clarify, if you have found a curator or do now wish to curate an exhibit of works you're now soliciting I think I and Rubaiyat are open to talking with you about that. That's not what I saw you propose in the thread that you posted though. If you're aiming there now, let's talk.

Seriously, I don't want to argue or debate with anyone. I just want to move with purpose together.

Last edited by Chicago Kipling on Tue Jan 16, 2007 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
A good photograph is like a good hound dog, dumb, but eloquent. ~ Eugene Atget
Ranma Tardis

sorry!

Post by Ranma Tardis »

I still say that the MoCa is just too darn UGLY! It looks like a refugee from North Korea or Soviet Russia. It is an eyesore to the community and breaks the spirt of our community.
Can not something be done to make it less UGLY?

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Post by Sleazy_Writer »

Chicago --

I'm sorry to hear about your loss in the family ..
Sorry for not giving your CN-expo efforts the deserved attention, it must have been (shortly) before my arrival in the CDS (early December).
In my posts on the CARE subforum I was criticizing the situation, not Rub., or anyone personally, I hope that's clear.
I also want to thank you and Rubaiyat for supporting to MoCA financially.

- Chicago: Would you be so kind to add to "1." a link to my post on the CARE subforum, so that readers of *this* thread can see a proposal that aims to implement (1.) by means of donation and longer term loans.

From what Delia IM'ed me, I get the idea that as a Curator-candidate, she would look positively towards (1.) (='my way/donated') as well as (2.) (=themed exhib. fixed period of time) But I guess you and we will hear it in detail what she thinks once she replies to your email.

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Post by Sleazy_Writer »

Hi Ranma san (if that's applicable for the ladies ..) good to see you!

I love soviet architecture and N-Korean as well.
Keep the Ugly MoCA!

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Post by Samantha Fuller »

I never liked postmodern archatexture myself, but to be fair the building dosen't match the snapshot in the land info pane sugesting that it was destroyed or damaged in Ulrika's raid :o and never fully rebuilt. On a more functioinal note it was sugested that an elevator was needed. That ignores the fact that avatars can easly levtate/ fly, :) a arrow or sign pointing the way up woud help however. I had some dificulty locating the hole between floors.

Here have some rope, its free! :)
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Post by Sleazy_Writer »

[quote="Chicago Kipling":1nzcsh85]I understand that this has become quite the political topic, but let's stay focused here. Beacon is one of the board members. You're welcome to solicit his opinion and even suggest he move us in a direction, but you really do need to speak to myself or Rubaiyat.

And to clarify, if you have found a curator or do now wish to curate an exhibit of works you're now soliciting I think I and Rubaiyat are open to talking with you about that. That's not what I saw you propose in the thread that you posted though. If you're aiming there now, let's talk.

Seriously, I don't want to argue or debate with anyone. I just want to move with purpose together.[/quote:1nzcsh85]
Chicago --

I think we're missing each others point here ..
- I do not want to stress CARE, I'm only an observer there, in case you didn't know, that's a very very loose associating with the faction.
- If I politicise, it's for the purpose of getting things moving. Fortunately that's not necessary any more since a lot of people have posted since my first post.
- I'm probably not up to date about the Boards powers Vs. Exec. Curators powers .. Do you mean that if I propose anything I should not ask the board members but with Rub. as an exec. Curator? Absolutely fine by me!
- I dont want to curate myself, but you've read my concrete ('donate') proposal, Delia, as a candidate-temporary-curator seems more positive about it than Rub., so as far as I'm concerned that's the way to go.

Ranma Tardis

Post by Ranma Tardis »

[quote="TOPGenosse":1scm9gqk]Hi Ranma san (if that's applicable for the ladies ..) good to see you!

I love soviet architecture and N-Korean as well.
Keep the Ugly MoCA![/quote:1scm9gqk]

Hi TOP Genosse San! Yes it is correct to use san with both man and women. If the MoCa was just a little more functional. It is also so useless just like the North Korean buildings.
If only it can be made more functional, more theme oriented or a little of both.
It reminds me of a large tomb more than anything else.
About me, I do not know where in the war I am going. The doctors keep arguring with each other.
Some doctors thing that medication alone can deal with my problem heart. Doing pushups, situps and running while wearing 25 kilos of combat armor is beginning to get to me!

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Post by Chicago Kipling »

It seems we're coming to a better understanding, which I'm glad of. Rubaiyat and myself are leading the board at the moment so I think we can offer you more answers and movement in the end.

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Post by Diderot Mirabeau »

I'm glad to see we're getting some positive momentum on the MoCA with participation across the board (hoho).

Just a few clarifying points:

It is true as Chicago hints at that in the Simplicity Party contribution to the unofficial voters' guide the following item is suggested as Simplicity policy on the MoCA:

[quote="Unofficial Voters Guide, Simplicity Policy":2dii122v]
Offer the MoCA as exhibition space for high profile galleries in SL on a rotating basis [/quote:2dii122v]
I'd like to attach a few clarifying comments to the above proposal in the interest of transparency and to further mutual understanding.

I put that proposal in the guide without proper democratic consultation with the party membership. In hindsight this was of course an error, which I think arose in part due to the short deadline given by myself in submitting our answers to the guide and in part because the question about projects for Neufreistadt does not explicitly relate to a particular policy proposal from our party but rather draws on the small, concrete initiatives from many different policy positions.

The reason why I put the concrete suggestion to give access to the MoCA to other galleries in SL was more a desire to present to the electorate a concrete proposal more tangible and action-oriented than the rather fluffy and uncommitted "Do something about the Schloss" for example and the idea was inspired by our general philosophy of entrusting development of city assets with people, who are actively and structurally incentivised to act. In hindsigt to put in the proposal without consultation was probably an error and I am sorry about the slighting implied by this - it was not intentional.

I hope that you may also understand my proposal as being motivated from knowing the history of the MoCA at least a year back and having seen already one curator come and go, voluntary citizen contributions of 30,000L$ intended for awards in the hosting of a collection-building competition drained to pay rent during 6 months of inactivity, seeing new people recruited for the purpose also fail to have time to do something (and I'm not thinking of our most recent team here) and indeed failing myself to act while having been involved in the MoCA - although I see this later passivity of mine mostly as a consequence of the then curator wanting a hands off approach exercised by the board.

Anyway as you can probably understand I have had plenty of opportunity to build up a good portion of guilt and frustration in so far as it regards the empty state of the MoCA.

I am very glad to see new and motivated people step up to the plate and offer to fill the MoCA with life. However I hope you will forgive me if I remain slightly sceptical of the novelty of the approach compared to the failed attempts of the past.

Finally just to clarify the context of decision-making regarding the future of the MoCA I'd like to refer people to the fact that there exists an [url=http://www.aliasi.us/nburgwiki/tiki-ind ... 3:2dii122v]explicit franchise agreement between the RA and the board of the MoCA Society[/url:2dii122v], which was ratified in March 2006, which among other things states that "The City expects MoCA to maintain a level of activity proportionate to the resources available in order to attract visitors and artists and promote Neualtenburg as a cultural centre."

The agreement was scheduled to last for 6 months and could be renewed for further six month periods subject to the discretion of the Guild. I imagine that the Guild has explicitly or implicitly accepted a renewal of the agreement meaning that the current franchise term expires at sometime in mid-March. Of course Chicago's clarifying points in this thread add greatly to my own understanding of the resources that have been available for the MoCA and will be duly taken into account when I turn to the Simplicity Party membership to discuss what should be our revised position on the MoCA.

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Empty Museum of Contemporary Art

Post by Sleazy_Writer »

Diderot, thanks for your and the SP's perspective. I understand your scepticism.
Without wanting to 'guide'/'rule' this thread in an *****oft-ian way ;-) I do want to say something about my 'donate to the MoCA' proposal again.
(Which new readers can find here: http://forums.neufreistadt.info/viewtop ... sc&start=0)

[b:1y2hsijk]Part 1 in defence of my idea:[/b:1y2hsijk]
My 'donate and longer-term-lend to the MoCA' idea (no. #1 in Chicago's post) doesn't exclude
- #2 or
- Chicago's CN-exhibition (that's being worked on) or
- Diderot's somewhat ad hoc proposal: "Offer the MoCA as exhibition space for high profile galleries in SL on a rotating basis"

[i:1y2hsijk]This (#2, Diderot's idea, Chicago's work) can and should still be done: once we find a curator with a lot of time, or once work on it simply get's finished.
But I firmly believe that it should be supplemented by my 'donate' idea : [color=blue:1y2hsijk]It can be And-And.[/color:1y2hsijk][/i:1y2hsijk]

[b:1y2hsijk]Part 2 in defence of my idea:[/b:1y2hsijk]
Rubaiyat and FR have rephrased my idea as "throw some stuff in the museum". I understand FR and Chicago's concern and Rubaiyat's opposition to the 'random collection' but it's an opinion that I don't share. I believe their reservations and criticisms comes down to two things:
(1) Randomness of a collection is bad, cohesiveness is important.
(2) 'Just some donated stuff' will not have a high enough quality.

As for (1):
As FR mentioned, a few *good* random items is better than an empty museum. Also, as time goes by, donations will hopefully stack up, with more works in the random collection, sub collections and themes will emerge. I admit that will go very slowly but it's interesting in it's own right.

As for (2):
- CDS citizens are intelligent enough to scrutinize their own submissions for artistic value.
- I'd like the MoCA curator (whoever that is or will be) to supervise and/or scrutinize the submissions (but accept the random nature of the collection)
- Rubaiyat mentioned that 'even artists don't know what's valuable'. May be true, thus the more reason for CDS'ers to submit and donate more and let the curator decide.

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Re: Empty Museum of Contemporary Art

Post by Diderot Mirabeau »

[quote="TOPGenosse":1k5lcc10]Without wanting to 'guide'/'rule' this thread in an *****oft-ian way ;-) I do want to say something about my 'donate to the MoCA' proposal again.
(Which new readers can find here: http://forums.neufreistadt.info/viewtop ... sc&start=0)[/quote:1k5lcc10]
Top as a representative of the CARE faction can you perhaps guide us as to whether your proposal is official CARE policy, or if not whether we can expect it to become so?

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Post by Sleazy_Writer »

Diderot, *you* are as much a CARE member as I am (an Observer) :)
I certainly hope my proposal becomes official CARE policy and will be endorsed by all CARE Activists involved in the Activities and Events taskforce.

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