State of Sabotage at SONÀR FESTIVAL
SonarMática / 1st Universal Micronations Exhibition
Capella dels Àngels, Barcelona
17.-19.6.2004
12.00p.m. to 22.00p.m.
Micronations -invented nations, visual territories, fantasy realms created by private individuals and collectives since the early seventies of the last century- have experienced widespread growth with the advent of the internet. Digital embassies and consulates, debate forums, inter-micronational organisations, cyber communities and diplomatic relations are all proliferating on the web.
Faced with this breeding ground, the art scene has steadily taken up its natural place in the creation of micronations: micronation events such as last summer’s summit in Finland and the leading role played by artists who are closely linked to the advanced music panorama have brought on the need to host a space for this phenomenon at Sonar.
That is why Sonarmática in 2004 will host the 1st Universal Micronations Exhibition, an international exhibition fair where different artists can present their own micronational projects.
The State of Sabotage creates a transnational tunnel for SONARMÀTICA, adapted to national/local significance and characteristics of state identity. Made visible by an SoS manhole cover in front of the entrance of the “Convent dels Angels” church, Barcelona will be connected to a virtual tunnel system already existing in Linz (Austria), Nice (France) and Baldrockistan (Australia/SoS). Manhole covers in every town have their own characteristics that, marked with engravings and historical coats-of-arms, identify a state-organized signal and utility system.
Evrugo Mental State by the Barcelona therapeutic artist Evru, The Kingdom of Elgaland-Vargaland by the Germans Carl Michael Von Hausswolff and Leif Elggren, the State of Sabotage (SoS) by the creative Viennese label Sabotage Communications, the NSK – a state in time by the Slovenian industrial music collective Laibach and Principality of Sealand one of the pioneers of this scene, are among the micronations taking part in the showcase. Conferences, concerts and various presentations will round off the programme of this event.
THE SoS GATE – Territorial Phantom
“What are you building? I want to dig a corridor. Progress must occur. My location is too high. We’re digging the shaft of Babel.”
Einstürzende Neubauten
Alluding to Franz Kafka’s novel The Castle, the German band Einstürzende Neubauten sang of the “shaft of Babel.” Kafka’s tower in The Castle opens upwards, as if the residents confined there had “broken through the roof and stood up …, to show themselves to the world.” Kafka’s inversion is the idea that progress can only occur when the overly high location on the tower is abandoned. The concept of the shaft, or the inverted tower, is the opposite of the territorial ivory tower. The politics of representation, both old and new, are opposed not by something widely visible or central, but by the construction of something invisible, namely by discourse and dissent, by conflicting publics. Against the towering symbol of political loftiness it is necessary to dig a hole that bores its way deep into the earth – a space where no one can arrogate to having a Big Picture of global events, where progress and identity develop through leaving an over-elevated location and finding access to underground lines and systems. The inverse tower is a location of currency, of present becoming, a tower that bores its way into today’s world.
The SoS state is everywhere. Utilizing a manhole cover, this infiltration of established systems is performed as an abolishment of state-regulated land ownership and demarcation. The SoS manhole cover is a state border shift (Spain/EU), a new state demarcation (SoS), and an artistic sculpture – a transnational entrance on national territory.
The manhole cover should be installed in front of, or near, the main entrance of the church (Barcelona). The installation would occur as follows: A hole in the ground is dug at a depth of 80 cm and a diameter of 1 meter. The hole is filled with concrete and the manhole cover including steel fitting is mounted on top (max. 5cm above ground level). The manhole cover should remain on location permanently as a lasting signal of the transnational relation to the “micronations” as a model for living.
SABOTAGE EMBASSY at Church
SoS EMBASSY and CONSULATE
The SoS state installs a temporary SoS embassy and consulate in the location (Convent des Angels). At the exhibition opening, the consulate will be presented by 4 representatives and SoS passports will be issued. The SoS embassy remains open through the duration of the exhibition via printed material, applications, videos, and an SoS shop. The SoS Embassy will be located in the first floor at the church (over the marked booth), by using a ladder the visitors can enter the embassy.
SOUP OF SABOTAGE
On the opening evening, guests will be served the SOUP OF SABOTAGE free of charge. The “Soup of Sabotage” is a contribution by the French artist ANABELLE HULAUT. In the creation of the soup, the word “sabotage” is used as an acronym, formed out of culinary ingredients. One soup is made from the French, the other from Spain; hence the respective national languages are taken to choose the ingredients. The two soups will be offered to the guests during the events. The “Sabotage Soup” is a tradition in the SoS state and will always be offered at every SoS event worldwide.
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