re:mote presentation saturday 19th march 2005

. Remoteness, hybridity, power and freedom There are two themes to this talk: 1) that remoteness and small scale can be a context for critiquing Western democratic and financial imperialism; and 2) that just as everyone suspects, the edge and the centre lose common relativity on the internet. Tthe District of Leistavia is an internet mediated hybrid culture whose formative influences are Pitcairn Island, Norfolk Island and Estonia. These three locations are geographically diverse and Pitcairn Island is among the most remote communities on earth, in contrast to it's internet presence. The context of creating Leistavia became a platform for the critique of Western democracy and economic influence. The supremacy of democracy and economic materialism for example, are frequently given unquestioned allegiance in the West. However if people were asked, what would they choose? Preferences were recorded in the constitution of Leistavia voting. Pitcairn, Norfolk and Estonia are all out of centre, hybrid cultural locations; two of the strengths of Leistavia are remoteness and hybridity, which engender freedom to critique and reflect. They are also small places, however this smallness is in contrast to internet presence where remoteness is transparent. The same goes for edge and centre in web mediated spaces. Take for example, the ugly but informative url www.art-themagazine.com, which I edit. Back to Leistavia .