History: Intro, NGM

Source of version: 4 (current)

__Intro__ As part of the research project and publication of “Non-Governmental Matter”, we sought different perspectives from interdisciplinary art collectives across Europe and Asia. We seek to create a working model within artists communities that functions independently of government regulations on artist funding; thereby encouraging artists in these communities to work collectively and across mediums to address pertinent issues through their own creativity and unique cultural knowledge. Our goal for this project is to provide alternative frameworks for artist groups and solo artists interested in working collectively and across disciplines. The major part of this is research particularly focused on the forming method, history and financial model of art communities, collectives, art groups and networks. The targets are being studied here mainly associated with the “camp” network. Following this main purpose, several alternative targets rather than “camps” were also interviewed in this project, organizations such as Re-FREAM or Fabricademy, which use European grants or mixed funding sources, are used here as reference groups in comparison to other autonomous camps or non-funded and self-organized activities. Or other reference groups such as Senyawa provide insights into other issues arising from the exchange between the West and the East, such as colonial issues and conceptual conflicts. Similarly, this research aims to reshape and imagine a sustainable industry or platform, "What is the Machine? in order to support artists outside of the existing academic system. Interfacing with different communities and camp network leaders across Europe and Southeast Asia have taught us about the diversity of thought and practice across different working groups, who at the same time, share a common goal of open source accessibility to share knowledge and skills. As the art world continues to move into increased privatization, privileging the free flow of material knowledge and information without borders is paramount to fostering critical and theoretical practice, beyond the confines of institutions. One such model of autonomous organization is the summer camp which is both an educational and networking occasion for artists, scientists and hackers. They are undefined, well known templates for organizers to generate events to support individual artists who share similar interests. This research we have gathered illustrates these networks, and informs us on best practices for their utilization to make them more accessible in the future. Although informal in structure, camps mobilize communities beyond the limitations of academic (in)accessibility, Traditional craftsmen and scholars weave together materials and digital technologies on the same loom by eating and living together, more importantly, this model emphasizes new modes of artistic, cultural, and theoretical production. In other words, the main component of networking and knowledge dissemination is friendship, and the output of the activity is about the iteration of concepts gained through human contact rather than technical advancement, and the evolution of the participants' ideas and their mobility is the real value.