...more recent posts
FBI ABDUCTS ARTIST, SEIZES ART
(Kurtz was funded recently by Creative Capital, a pretty great foundation. Sorry for the long post)
Steve Kurtz was already suffering from one tragedy when he called 911
early in the morning to tell them his wife had suffered a cardiac arrest
and died in her sleep. The police arrived and, cranked up on the rhetoric
of the "War on Terror," decided Kurtz's art supplies were actually
bioterrorism weapons.
Thus began an Orwellian stream of events in which FBI agents abducted
Kurtz without charges, sealed off his entire block, and confiscated his
computers, manuscripts, art supplies... and even his wife's body.
Like the case of Brandon Mayfield, the Muslim lawyer from Portland
imprisoned for two weeks on the flimsiest of false evidence, Kurtz's case
amply demonstrates the dangers posed by the USA PATRIOT Act coupled with
government-nurtured terrorism hysteria.
Kurtz's case is ongoing, and, on top of everything else, Kurtz is facing a
mountain of legal fees. Donations to his legal defense can be made at
http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/
FEAR RUN AMOK
Steve Kurtz is Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the State
University of New York's University at Buffalo, and a member of the
internationally-acclaimed Critical Art Ensemble.
Kurtz's wife, Hope Kurtz, died in her sleep of cardiac arrest in the early
morning hours of May 11. Police arrived, became suspicious of Kurtz's art
supplies and called the FBI.
Within hours, FBI agents had "detained" Kurtz as a suspected bioterrorist
and cordoned off the entire block around his house. (Kurtz walked away the
next day on the advice of a lawyer, his "detention" having proved to be
illegal.) Over the next few days, dozens of agents in hazmat suits, from a
number of law enforcement agencies, sifted through Kurtz's work, analyzing
it on-site and impounding computers, manuscripts, books, equipment, and
even his wife's body for further analysis. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Health
Department condemned his house as a health risk.
Kurtz, a member of the Critical Art Ensemble, makes art which addresses
the politics of biotechnology. "Free Range Grains," CAE's latest project,
included a mobile DNA extraction laboratory for testing food products for
possible transgenic contamination. It was this equipment which triggered
the Kafkaesque chain of events.
FBI field and laboratory tests have shown that Kurtz's equipment was not
used for any illegal purpose. In fact, it is not even _possible_ to use
this equipment for the production or weaponization of dangerous germs.
Furthermore, any person in the US may legally obtain and possess such
equipment.
"Today, there is no legal way to stop huge corporations from putting
genetically altered material in our food," said Defense Fund spokeswoman
Carla Mendes. "Yet owning the equipment required to test for the presence
of 'Frankenfood' will get you accused of 'terrorism.' You can be illegally
detained by shadowy government agents, lose access to your home, work, and
belongings, and find that your recently deceased spouse's body has been
taken away for 'analysis.'"
Though Kurtz has finally been able to return to his home and recover his
wife's body, the FBI has still not returned any of his equipment,
computers or manuscripts, nor given any indication of when they will. The
case remains open.
Articles about the case:
http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/news-WKBW-2.html
http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/news-WKBW.html
Has anybody seen Aernout Mik at The Project? Would love to hear about it. I was very interested in his big video installations that showed in Toronto in 2001.
Aernout Mik: "Parallel Corner," May 1-June 20
The Project
37 W 57, 3rd fl
this thursday michelle segre has an opening at derek eller. she'll be showing lucio. oh yeah, and some drawings.
From MUG:
"On Saturday, from 2-3:45pm, Glowlab's One Block Radius takes a single city block and anatomizes it, using all kinds of approaches that demonstrate that this future site of the New Museum of Contemporary Art can be seen as a microcosm of NYC. It takes place at 95 Rivington, the block in question runs from Bowery to Chrystie and Stanton to Rivington. Not sure we've done this justice: it's a very cool project."
On One Block Radius:
One Block Radius, a project of Brooklyn artists Christina Ray and Dave Mandl [known collaboratively as Glowlab], is an extensive psychogeographic survey of the block where New York's New Museum of Contemporary Art will build a new facility in late 2004. Engaging a variety of tools and media such as blogs, video documentation, maps, field recordings & interviews, Glowlab creates a multi-layered portrait of the block as it has never been seen before [and will never be seen again]. This website is an interactive archive for the project, which will continue to grow over time as we build a dense data-map of the block.
the new New Museum design.
(I think it looks a little like Zaha Hadid's new museum in Cincinnati?).
"nonsense nyc is a discriminating resource for independent art, weird
events, strange happenings, unique parties, and senseless culture in new
york city."
nonsense nyc.
"The ICA presents the fifth annual Beck's Futures exhibition and awards, bringing together work from ten of the most exciting UK-based artists."
some people call it the mini Turner prize (and a much more exciting roster of artists?).
300 images from 1800 sites [via reBlog]
CONRAD BAKKER
UNTITLED PROJECT: MUSCLECAR
"1969 PONTIAC GTO JUDGE"
Fully loaded, Great condition, only $21,480!
oil on carved wood, 10'4"x4'6"x3'