Tanner Menard made a couple of blog posts about the Cantocore project, and I hope you all will check them out. He starts in an intro post titled “Cantocore: Theory versus Reality” by noting:
“…many of the people who frequent this blog license their music under creative commons. If you are interested in this stuff and want to get more creative about using creative commons for artistic collaborations and releases then I encourage you to devour the material contained with in the site http://cantocore.com/. I have tried not to go into too much detail about the site because its worth every minute that you spend reading about the amazing collaborations that continue to evolve within the cantocore artistic community. So much net based art lacks true complexity and creativity. Let the artists and contributors of Cantocore illuminate you with their bleeding edge examination of globalization and cultural exchange.”
In the full review, Tanner picks up on the key concept behind the Cantocore project which is beyond a water downed cultural-exchange or some type of American Apparel approach to Globalization:
I have been reading about Cantocore for a number of days totally obsessed by the complexity of the concepts presented on its site http://cantocore.com/, but it was not until I read the following statement that I was really sold on the idea; ‘Cantocore is the reality of life versus the theory set forth by jurisdictions where people live.’ As an artists who’s personal world view leans towards ontological anarchy, this statement elevates Cantocore from a link on Jon Phillip’s website to the top of the bookmark list on my favorite web browser. Rather than getting into any specifics about the content this review will provide my basic assesment of the site and I encourage you to explore the site in depth as each of the many interactions described are well worth your time in the bloggosphere.
When people ask me to explain what exactly Cantocore is, I often dance around the similarities between Guangzhou and San Francisco. Both are at the far extremes from the political centers of power in China and the United States respectively. I also usually talk about the lifestyle of lowered barriers of the 3 P’s: property, privacy, and prices. These combined increase one’s state, or feeling of, personal freedom. However, this concept of the reality of life versus the theory set forth explains exactly how I feel about Cantocore: Just do it! Don’t have a meeting. Don’t make a committee. Don’t whine. Just make your project wherever you are at with what resources you have. Get it off the ground and sort out the pieces as you go.
While this urgent approach isnt’ necessarily the best formula for projects regularly, it is an application of the “Me First” practice, as my friend Ken Fields calls China’s drivers. Thus, if one is going to survive in a “Me First culture”, one better get on the bus first and be the first one in line (since there is no line). We can talk and theorize about China’s growth all we want while others are practicing Me Firstians. Get on the bus.
Tanner points out another aspect of Cantocore that many overlook. Its more than just a couple of art exhibitions. The site itself is space for collaboration and research:
The content of Cantocore website is not for the light of heart. It requires patience and the ability to navigate complexity. This is not complexity from an information design perspective. Rather, the content is dense and challenging to traditional notions of conceptual art. However, the website itself is also an artwork. It is powered by wordpress, gives you the option to login to the site, contains its own wiki, and is filled with entries about the many happenings and conceptual installations presented by the artists involved in the project. It is in an invitation to others to participate.
I often inject this type of infrastructure into my involvements. With Cantocore, I’ve found for the most part what I anticipated about contemporary art and artists. And now, please excuse my round generalizations: With some exceptions such as with the Ping Pong Crew, practictioners, galleries, and infrastructure are still projecting atrophied objects into white rooms called galleries. With the creation of the exhibitions, I nevertheless knew I needed to investigate the concepts of Cantocore and explore the space of the ideologies we set forth, in the face of personal memories. The reality set forth is that it has been loads of knees on the ground, hands getting dirty, low budget pinching, and constant artist wrangling to say the least. I’m not down on the artists or the projects involved, but I truly believe that if one is to survive in the new world economy post-globalization, it is not enough to be too reliant upon anyone. It is crucial for each person involved in a project to exist both online, as with the Cantocore project, and offline, as with the exhibitions and other upcoming projects. If any artist is not completely on top of his/her persona in the real or virtual worlds, wake up! Become a Me Firstian [0]!
Oh, and a final mini-opine. For most of my life, if I truly believe in something, I live it (possibly too extremely). If I lose my way, or forget why I’m going down a path, I get out of that involvement. I still feel that if one truly loves what they do, they dedicate their time to it wholly. NOTE, I’m not taking this to an extreme and realize the rational limits upon multi-tasking, having family and relationship duties, amongst other tasks which divide one’s time. Rather, focus, clarity and real progress demand dedication.