"Weapons for the Oppressed"
Bill Posters
Six machine guns and six hand guns cast in handmade
paper will be sent around the world to countries
including Chile, Ireland, Argentina, Italy, Indonesia,
USA, Brazil, Norway, Reunion Island Germany, England
and Holland. Each package will contain a with
compliments slip with the "facsimile weapon
without a firing-pin" referring to a statement by
Debord which refers to the appearance of radical
thought which perhaps inadvertently only supports the
dominant organisation of power.
We live in a world deeply divided by a minority whose
lives are drowning in a monsoon of material goods,
living off the backs of the majority whose lives are
impoverished by a total lack of basic everyday needs
such as nutritious food and clean water. The dream
world of the land of excess is populated by people who
remain blissfully oblivious to the true state of world
affairs. Terrorism is now the dominant chatter of
corporate media who maintain a blanket of silence over
the bigger terrorism stories where peoples lives are
being fucked over on a daily basis, just so that the
global minority can keep chasing the disillusionment
from the last item of mass consumption. The corporate
definition of terror is necessarily racist as the
lives of non-anglo saxon descent are played down,
Indonesian lives are worth less than Australians in
the Bali bombing and refugees drowning on sabotaged
boats are worth next to nothing. Civilians burnt in
the twin towers are considered supreme compared to the
generations of civilians in Iraq poisoned by
"depleted" uranium or those shattered by the exploding
shrapnel of a cluster bomb. According to corporate
media, terrorism around the world in countries like
Nigeria, Sarawak, West Paupa, Aceh, Burma, etc, does
not exist. Citizens must be fearful of terrorism
without ever being told what it is.
Corporate media is also racist when it comes to
reporting dissent against the global institutions of
power. It reports the first big protest against
"globalisation" as being in Seattle and neglects to
mention the reality of this movement beginning in
Mexico and India. Still it fails to report such events
as 20,000 Zapatistas descending on the city of San
Christobel on new years eve of 2003 or the recent
organisation of the people of Argentina, free of
Government.
This project was done as an attempt to wake its
inventor out of a bad dream. It was produced with the
full knowledge that its existence is unlikely to
effect any change in the existing order of power.
Simultaneously it was not instigated to help build the
career of the perpetrator. "Weapons for the oppressed"
should not be considered a serious piece of "art" as
it is a practical joke, merely a piece of Tom Foolery.
Bill Posters does not want to associate with what
calls itself "art" and all that it entails in the
dominating cultural system of power relations. He is
just checking and testing certain ideas and letting
his sloppy thoughts escape into the public arena. It
should also be noted that nothing that has been spoken
of within is new. It has all been said before.
"Art" in the contemporary world is only concerned with
the exterior level of life, with aesthetics.
Ultimately it is only a surface for an individual to
build a superficial identity on in contrast to the
identities of others. To create social distinctions
according to systems of taste. This should not be
surprising as in our time all professions are subject
to rigid censorship and the economic rule of the
imperative of the dollar.
In the world of the symbolic almost everything can be
permissible as long as it does not effectively change
anything and does not represent the true state of
world affairs. Everyday our headspaces are
increasingly bombarded with a stream of fallacies. It
is increasingly harder to maintain a critical
consciousness and concept of what is "real". Corporate
media is dense with blatant lies and an absence of
history. As with every other profession its name is
the same but its practice has completely changed. In
today's order it is possible to execute the most
extraordinary conspiracies. The continuing lies of
powerful institutions such as the world bank, the
international monetary fund, the world trade
organisation, food and agriculture organisation
ensure the current world order is maintained.
What is of even more concern is the void of
environmental issues reported. Everywhere the basis of
our existence is being destroyed. Very few are aware
of the extent of the destruction to maintain our
materially excessive lifestyles. The economy is the
enemy of our humanity.
By going through the postage system "Weapons for the
oppressed" attempts cross borders that most people
cannot cross with ease if at all. It is an attempt to
make a mockery of the dominant definition of
"terrorism".
The real question is what weapons are left for the
oppressed against the all crushing power of the
corporate economic systems. For me it seems important
to attempt to test ideas and theories in practice no
matter how obscure they may be. Ideas and theories not
put into practice tend to be those used by people to
build their careers and as such only act as defence
systems for the maintenance of the dominant
structures.
The box with gun is intended for exhibition once it
has reached its postal destination. It does not matter
where it is exhibited, but preferably at least in a
semi-public space. This text should be displayed with
the piece. Other than this it is up to the receiver
how the piece is to be displayed. Once exhibited the
box should be ceremonially burnt or posted on to
another destination for further exhibition.
Documentation of the exhibition and ceremonial
burnings would be greatly appreciated by Bill Posters.
Please send to:
Bill Posters,
C/- 12 Margaret Ave,
Somerton Park,
South Australia, 5044
A yahoo group has also been set up where it is
possible to discuss/debate this project at:
BAMCorp
