Void

Network
Manifesto
First Attempt at Communication

We didn’t invent the following ideas…We are just a small wave in the ocean of the
evolution of all these ideas, all libertarian atmospheres, dreams and revolutionary
plans that keep expanding
in the Vast Open Horizon.

Void Network (Theory, Utopia, Empathy, Ephemeral Arts)

Global Eye (London Void Network)
WarCryCinema (New York Void Network)

Void Network first appeared in Athens-Greece in 1990.

Its aim is the radicalization of every day life and the construction of Public Space
situations through the creation of Utopian Public Environments.
Discussions, multi media lectures and poetry shows, open free festivals, multi
screen Void Optical Arts Atmospheres (live cross-platform collaborations between
visual artists, photographers, poets, lecturers, d.j.s), performances, documentary
representations, culture jamming, organization of demonstrations, street parades
and public actions, celebrations, concerts, open collaborative workshops of artists,
activists, academic scientists and spiritual friends that through dialogue, interaction
and synchronized activity manifest multi formic conditions of open access to
creativity, education, free information, open liberated autonomous public zones,
meeting places, places of communication, empathy, expression and creation for
thousands upon thousands of people.

Void Network’s research is directed and co-ordinated through the work of six open
laboratories :

>The Void Laboratory for Poetry and Philosophy

>Laboratory for Kosmo-Political Consciousness
>Void Optical Arts Laboratory
(for ephemeral outopian atmospheres)
>Electro Void Laboratory
(for electronic and experimental contemporary music)
>"Open Dialogue" Void Laboratory
>Void Laboratory of the "Translators"

Void Network is a free network of free people, active social beings, artists, scientists
and travelers who co-create dynamic interactions of Theory, Utopia, Empathy and
Ephemeral Arts

"Void”: void of separate existence, an Open Horizon, a Vast Open Ocean

"Network” : a phenomenon of Global Interdependence

"Theory”: a process of intellectual inquiring, learning and uprising of critical

understanding

"Empathy”: care for all beings equally that appears through communal experience.

"Ephemeral Arts”: a signal without leaving a sign, a message without leaving

matter.
Void Art / Art without an Artist / Art without an audience / Chaotic acts of Love /
Collective Outopian Atmospheres / Situations / Open Public Ephemeral Ecstatic
Zones/ TemporaryAutonomousZones

If you need to search for the "art-piece" you have to search for it...in the mind and
heart of everyone that was offered to...

Since 1990, Void Network / Athens , Global Eye / London Void Network and
WarCryCinema / New York Void Network have presented a series of 300 situations
in Greece, Italy, U.K., Spain, Germany, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, USA, India,
Nepal and many other countries. This philosophic community’s revolutionary work
has appeared in urban spaces, deserted factories, social centers, universities,
squares, mountains, forests, beaches and highways. The nature of each situation is
directly formulated according to the special characteristics of each space, location,
area, social context and specific social needs.
Year after year, people from Greece, England, Italy and New York were growing to
understand that they had been engaging in similar activities and using the same
vocabulary to express their ideas. They decided to try to build an international
network that could manifest public situations, nomadic art and creative meeting
points for people from all around the world. They desired a chance to exchange
ideas, information, abilities, archives and together, create new forms of cultural and
social experience.

Currently two permanent open social zones exist that accommodate the activities of
the network in London (Penzance Castle) and in Athens (Free Social Space:
Nosotros).
Last year two international projects were activated:
Talking About Total Freedom World Tour.
Global Earth Academy.
We also participated in the creation of European Vision Caravan with artistic and
political collectives from all over Europe.

The Fear of Emptiness :

The threat of expulsion in the absence of conformity: This state of fear disables the
individual.
A mental control that subsequently becomes physically manifest.
We believe that societies’ biggest impairment is the belief that any one of us or
even all of us are not capable of improving our world for the better. The root of this
impairment is solely mental, not physical. As a result, we aim to fight power
structures while empowering the individual as well as collective consiousness. The
very existence of international financial, political, religious, intellectual and artistic
Elites has resulted in the denial of Freedom of speech, Freedom of Expression,
Freedom of Open Public Assembly, Freedom of Mutual Aid and Collaboration.
Placing “art” solely in an art context is, in a way, relegating it to exist only within that
context. Restricting the distribution of and opportunities to access new ideas and
emotions is something "govern-mental" institutions do. Why voluntarily censor
yourself? We see Art, Philosophy, Critical Thinking, Enthusiasm, Collective Ecstasy
and Revolt as mental and emotional practices perfectly suited as a tool for
enablement, a mental liberator that in turn can lead to positive physical changes.

Utopian Atmospheres
Utopian Atmosphere is the creation of a temporary enclosed feedback system,
where activists, artists, and scientists have an opportunity to provide input that will
be transformed and reformulated by participants.
Void Art
Art without an audience.
Art without an artist.
Inner Space Art
The light of Perception, the light of Awareness
Political and social meditative abstraction :
(hungry children, fat capitalists, homeless people, a sunrise, happy super market
girls, walking refuges, air-bombed cities, street riots and waves in stormy weather,
naked people, raindrops on flowers, the shouting prisoner, an afternoon in San
Francisco, the night in Rome, burned cars from Paris, masses of corpses from
1915 in Armenia, 2000 thumbnail images of mass graves from all 20th century, the
rain coming, red clouds, a photograph of the president, dead Tibetan monks infront
of Chinese liberators, a dollar in the hands of a beggar, the sound of crying
children, the sound of distant drums, the sound of voidness)
Presenting the stunning beauty of our planet, sudden inspirational moments, the
universe and life, the miracle of interdependence, matter, electricity, chemical
reactions….. This planet being a living organism, comparing it with microcosm,
macrocosm, human body, insects, urban society, technology... Presenting
capitalism and authority as viruses, parasites on the planet, the bigger organism.
An analysis of psychological manipulations used in advertising, e.g. stereotypes,
propaganda, consumerism, mental health, pre-defined ideals (beauty, fitness,
leadership, work, family, school, army) revealing images that get bypassed by
mainstream media. The communication system used is intended to break through
barriers of nationality, education, age, cultural background and apathy.
Void Art / multi-screen projection shows (video art, computer arts, digital
photography, anticopyright internet photo archives, 8mm films, slide shows,
philosophical and political fragments) / light shows and multi- media / live- mix
visual and sound improvisations / many different spiritual friends with many different
projectors in the same moment / a moment of understanding / all the participators
or just one person / the understanding of the interdeependent nature of the
phenomena / a deep feeling of empathy and compassion.
We consider social gatherings as a vital meeting point of minds in a state of
openness transcending the separation of selfish, modern life. We consider the
essence of art to be truly independent of any physical object or act, reproduction or
representation. Art is a moment, a mental and emotional practice, an open process.
Any physical object or physical act is simply the tool used for the creation of art’s
ultimate aim, the creation of thought and feeling. The ability to create new thoughts
and feelings does not require change in the physical world, but change in the
mental world, which in turn can effect the physical world.
In the physical world, we tend towards new possibilities of existence, beyond the
constructed realities of modern societies. Our aim is to create an experience from a
situation, a live art piece, where the actual experience created is the art piece. The
collective experience of being there, the interaction with the people around you, the
different thoughts and emotions created amongst the people feeding back and
effecting future thoughts and emotions IS the art piece.
The tools used to create this experience are space, time and all the different forms
and elements of Void Art, Theory, Philosophy and Living Practice. Art should evoke
emotion, provoke thought and inspire change for the better. The art, philosophy and
cultural-social activism we engage in,
in the vast open public sphere, promotes the development of ideas, images,
experiences, thoughts and emotions through the collective interaction of mental and
emotional processes. In a way, it is a collective mental-emotional sculpting. This
technique is principally based on real time cross platform collaboration, living the
experience of interaction and interdependence, changing people’s perception of
themselves and their potential by breaking some of society’s traditional illusions.
People in modern, every-day life identify with systems, which in effect are based on
illusions; they believe they have freedom, choice and power within an infrastructure
of a civilization bound by morality, ethics and righteousness. In order to achieve
freedom and empowerment it is necessary to identify often deeply hidden,
conditioning thoughts. What we are talking about is very different from having a
shallow conversation or paying to see a concert and has nothing to do with an "art
exhibition".
Creating an overall art piece in a Utopian Atmosphere enables people to immerse
themselves in a state of receptiveness through a series of experiences and
situations that effects their minds, bodies, and souls. The objective is to facilitate
people’s creativity, openness, empowerment, satisfaction, safety, inclusiveness,
solidarity, expression and general mental and physical happiness. We work to
create a space which maximizes the ability of people to enter deep contemplation
about their own lives and the world around them. These events attempt to break
down perceptions of established reality by confronting neuroses, paranoia, self-
doubts and fears whilst facilitating creativity, freedom and uninhibited joy, intensive
talks about life, unity and bonding. These events challenge ownership, greed,
possessions, and encourage generosity, inspiration and awakening of personal,
critical mind.

Eco-nomy

Our situations tend to be moments that gather thousands of people into

experiments in new forms of public life, in a non-profit economy, transforming
spaces into atmospheres of equality, dialogue and non-exploitative collective
understanding. The abolishment of profit is one the main steps in the direction of an
"Eco-nomy Without Profit and Exchange" based on "Constant Free Distribution"
and "Direct Access". We believe that our situations are anti-commercial and non-
consumerist.
All the artists, the scientists, the visioneries, the constructors and the helpers of the
situations are against salaried employment and profit.
Our intention is to spread libertarian ideas, communication, motivation, inspiration,
education and the self-organization of "Open Public Ephemeral Zones".
This can happen outside of the established constructions of the "govern-mental"
state authorities, private interests, corporations, pop-celebrity pseudo-reality,
employment and all kinds of material gain.

Negations, non-dogmatism and inclusiveness

We deny the separated puppet role of the "artist", "politician", "scientist", or

"philosopher". We believe that each one of us must keep in equilibrium the political,
artistic and philosophic consciousness by keeping alive empathy, critical inquiry,
inner cultivation, educative public communication and public open expression,
solidarity and participation in the Public Sphere.
So, as we negate the morals of employment and the nuclear family social shell we
focus on the achievement of new experimental ways to achieve Utopia in our
everyday life,NOW!.
The pleasure of life is hiding outside of the norms, outside of the eight hour
programmed workday, outside of the dead cities and the melancholic architecture of
private life. Our dreams must be capable to construct a new architecture, new
atmospheres, new kinds of relationships, new body language, new ways of
expression and new kinds of day to day activity, new pleasures, new techniques,
new designs and new future plans. As creative human beings we pursue the
connection of every type of intellectual and artistic creation with the demand for
social and personal liberation. Experimental behavior, new lifestyle choices and
collective construction of social, aesthetic, philosophical and political situations are
necessary components of free co-existence without any limitation of action and
thought.

Total Freedom is a pre-requisite of existence...Not a reward...

When this is understood, a state of war or confrontation with all manners of
authoritarian dogma inevitably results. We must face this fact, personally and
socially.

events , projects, history:

http://voidnetwork.blogspot.com

contact :
voidinternational@gmail.com

homepage :
www.voidnetworksociety.org

http://www.warcrycinema.org