Stephen Duncombe is the author of 2007′s Dream: Re-imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy, wherein he argues that in order to explore new political frontiers, progressives need to start dreaming. The wide-eyed idealism and humanity that informs the perspective has been waning, and it’s necessary to re-imagine the goals and the tactics used to achieve them, both to gain clout and re-gain the passion that started a movement.
Duncombe suggests the notion of an ethical spectacle, which has me wondering how his book might inform the work we do as activist artists?
Rather than the spectacles of commercialism and fascism that have historically dominated, what would it look like to create participatory spectacles? In Duncombe’s view:
…our spectacles will be participatory: dreams the public can mold and shape themselves. They will be active: spectacles that work only if people help create them. They will be open-ended: setting stages to ask questions and leaving silences to formulate answers. And they will be transparent: dreams that one knows are dreams but which still have power to attract and inspire. And, finally, the spectacles we create will not cover over or replace reality and truth but perform and amplify it.
Ever since Debord, I’ve been wary of any kind of spectacle, but this article has me thinking differently this morning.
Is it possible or necessary to create an ethical spectacle?
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