Leer LO THE EOTOR

TO : INFLUX

from: Marie-Helene Tessier
ECIAD student
4th year Visual Arts

When | read the article/interview on meaninglessness
in art in the last issue of INFLUX, | have realized that |
needed to contribute to the debate.

Since | came to ECIAD | have been defending similar
ideas in my critiques such as the relevance of contem-
porary abstraction and specifically what | call post-con-
ceptualist art making.

| have been defending notions of the playful and
rejecting a visual language injected with social content.
| have been insisting on a visual language beyond writ-
ten language so that the artist gains power over texts
which became oppressive in the last twenty years.
What | am suggesting is to remind the artist to set
his/her own rules and create art that is not already
absorbed by theory but ahead of it.

After years of studying art and philosophy, trying to
grasp the nature of reality and fiction, asking myself
why do | make art, here is my manifesto.

Marie-Helene Tessier

TOWARDS A MANIFESTO OF THE

MEANINGLESSNESS
IN ART

FROM THE LUDIC STRATAGEM

BE PLAYFUL

MEANING IS NOT CREATED NOR INJECTED
MEANING IS DISCOVERED

INVENT
ART DOES SURVIVE ON ORIGINALITY

CREATE FOR THE SENSES

BE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THEORY
BUT DO NOT CREATE FROM IT

SET YOUR OWN RULES

KNOW YOUR ART HISTORY AND YOUR
PHILOSOPHY

WITHOUT ART THERE IS NO ART THEORY

BE OBSSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
AND UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF PARANOIA

BE QUICK
THERE IS NO TIME FOR THE CONTEMPLATIVE

DO NOT PLOT A POINT
DRAW LINES

DO NOT LOOK FOR ORIGINS
START FROM THE MIDDLE

DO NOT HAVE A JUST IDEA
JUST HAVE IDEAS

RISK TO BE IMPERTINENT AND IRRELEVANT
TO. THE WORLD

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@©4—

DO NOT LOOK FOR TRUTH
KNOW THAT TRUTH IS A FASCIST IDEA

AVOID VERTICALISM
FURTHER IS MORE INTERESTING THAN HIGHER

DO NOT MORALIZE OR CAPITALIZE ON THE IGNO-
RANCE OF THE VIEWER

KNOW THAT YOU ARE EXTREMELY PRIVILEDGED
BUT DO NOT FEEL TOO GUILTY ABOUT IT

DO NOT TRY TO EDUCATE THE MASSES
DO NOT MAKE PEDAGOGICAL ART

DO NOT SEEK ACCESSIBILITY
ABSTRACT POLITICS ARE MORE SUBVERSIVE

BE AWARE THAT YOUR IDEAS MIGHT EVENTUALLY
BE ABSORBED BY THE INSTITUTIONS

AVOID TRYING TO SAY
BUT ATTEMPT TO SHOW

DO NOT RE-PRESENT
BUT PRESENT

STAY AWAY FROM DUALISM
AVOID ALL FORM OF BINARY LOGIC

DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THE WORD BEAUTIFUL

SEEK A SECOND INNOCENCE
CYNICISM BELONGS TO THE GODS
LETTER TO THE EDITOR

TO : INFLUX
from: Marie-Helene Tessier
ECIAD student
4th wean Vieval Arts TOWARDS A MANIFESTO OF THE

pasa MEANINGLESSNESS
pe sere nia ee ect | IN ART

needed to contribute to the debate.
Since I came to ECIAD | have been. defending similar FROM THE LUDIC STRATAGEM
ideas in my critiques such as the relevance of contem-

porary abstraction and specifically what | call post-con- BE PLAYFUL
tualist art maki

fave been defending nélons.of tue playful and MEANING IS NOT CREATED NOR INJECTED

rejecting a visual language injected with social content. MEANING IS DISCOVERED DO NOT LOOK FOR TRUTH

"have been insisting on a visual language beyond wiit- ea KNOW THAT TRUTH IS A FASCIST IDEA

ten language so that the artist gains power over text

which became oppressive in the last bwenty years, ART DOES SURVIVE ON ORIGINALITY ‘AVOID VERTICALISM.

What | am suggesting is to remind the artist to set FURTHER IS MORE INTERESTING THAN HIGHER

his/her own rules and create art that is not already CREATE FOR THE SENSES

absorbed by theory but ahead of it. DO NOT MORALIZE OR CAPITALIZE ON THE IGNO-
BE WELL INFORMED ABOUT THEORY RANCE OF THE VIEWER

After years of studying art and philosophy, trying to BUT DO NOT CREATE FROM IT

‘grasp the nature of reality and fiction, asking myself KNOW THAT YOU ARE EXTREMELY PRIVILEDGED

Pardo treteniiene armani SET YOUR OWN RULES BUT DO NOT FEEL TOO GUILTY ABOUT IT

IMaiiesHelenddesser KNOW YOUR ART HISTORY AND YOUR DO NOT TRY TO EDUCATE THE MASSES
PHILOSOPHY DO NOT MAKE PEDAGOGICAL ART
WITHOUT ART THERE IS NO ART THEORY DO NOT SEEK ACCESSIBILITY

ABSTRACT POLITICS ARE MORE SUBVERSIVE
BE OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE
‘AND UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF PARANOIA BE AWARE THAT YOUR IDEAS MIGHT EVENTUALLY
BE ABSORBED BY THE INSTITUTIONS
BE QUICK
THERE IS NO TIME FOR THE CONTEMPLATIVE AVOID TRYING TO SAY
BUT ATTEMPT TO SHOW
DO NOT PLOT A POINT
+i DRAW LINES DO NOT RE-PRESENT
BUT PRESENT
DO NOT LOOK FOR ORIGINS
START FROM THE MIDDLE STAY AWAY FROM DUALISM
‘AVOID ALL FORM OF BINARY LOGIC
DO NOT HAVE A JUST IDEA

JUST HAVE IDEAS DO NOT 8E AFRAID OF THE WORD BEAUTIFUL
RISK TO BE IMPERTINENT AND IRRELEVANT SEEK A SECOND INNOCENCE
TO THE WORLD CYNICISM BELONGS TO THE GODS
© ~
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ie demos & vets
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peated atthe Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Conte with this ad