DArlen Projects: ESSAY - REVIEWING INDEPENDENCE AND THE POLITICS OF ART

The excerpts are from the Prime Minister Kamla Persaud Bissessar's 50th anniversary address to the nation.
Newsday Section A.
Saturday September 1, 2012 page 19.

"What is the purpose of a society
in which the landscape appears to be more modern
but there is an absence of values?"

"What is the purpose of children attending
schools, being better educated but are more prone
to violent behaviour and the erosion of family values?"
(I will add institutional values)

"What is the purpose of producing great artistes
with their unique genres of music,
even inventing rhythms and instruments unique to the
world, when we have not learnt to appreciate their value and would even
celebrate our own 50th Anniversary by heralding musical celebrations from other
countries?
I intend to pursue specific ways to begin a transformation of our society.
Our character education is one way we begin instilling values at an early age."

Here we're at 50, hard worn years, a time to celebrate, reflect and contemplate.

I have been listening and going around the circuit of lectures and exhibitions that were but in place to construct a language of where we where.

There was the Central Bank exhibition.
The Installation at the National Airport.
The Mural outside Parliament, Waterfront.
The Woodford Square celebration, Port of Spain
In the Fires of Hope: 50 years of Independence in Trinidad and Tobago, Conference 2012 - Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Education, UWI, St Augustine.
1962 and 2012 - The 50th Anniversary of Independence Art Exhibition - August 24 - September 29, 2012.
The Machel Montano - Going for Gold CD - Commissioned by the Ministry of Planning.

There is obviously something wrong with the whole construction of our celebrations and the conceptualization of our position at 50. As one cultural activist but it

"we lacked the deep contemplative discourse that would have placed certain things on the table."

where we would have had a better understanding of the 50

As it is now, we still stand a bit confuse concerning :

THE

cultural space,

economic space,

social space,

political space.

YEARS

There were three exhibitions that told a story that left lots of gaps.

Like the Central Bank exhibition which left out a whole gap of people and movements that brought about the independence movement that Dr. Eric Williams was able to capitalize on.

In the little discussions that I had with an elderly woman, she explain the youth organizers and their lack of an informed position and an unwillingness to listen.

As one cultural practitioner mentioned.

"THE STATE WASN'T INVESTED IN THE 50,

THE STATE SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING AND AT THE LAST MOMENT THEY DID."

AND WHAT WE SAW WAS THE CULMINATION OF A LAST GASP EFFORT FOR A POLITICAL EXPRESSION, RATHER THAN A NATIONAL EXPRESSION .

The most disturbing was the

MURAL - outside the Parliament- commissioned by the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago.

done by a mas man!? - WHA DE *&%*

"What is the purpose of children (Ministers) attending

schools, being better educated but are more prone

to violent behaviour and the erosion of family values?"

(I will add institutional and intellectual values).

This is what I will like to think the Prime Minister must of meant. This project avoided all the intellectual and institutional values expected of such an esteemed office. Did they inquire into the Artist Registry set up for these purposes, it showed obvious ignorance and laziness. At least off the top of my head I can name some artist that will have been able to do this job conceptual better.

One friend mentioned maybe the mas man!? was chosen because he was able to deliver the product on time and in favor. Cool but the mas man!? could have collaborated with artists that will have brought the product to a quality presentation. The three artists I have in my head is Carlise Harris, Glenn Roopchand, Leroy Clarke. OK lets look at a younger generation, Shawn Peters shoots off the list, Irenee Shaw, Rachel Rochford, Lisa O'Connor, shalini etc etc etc. this list is so easy to fill

So due to a lazy understanding and a familiarity with someone, the Parliament went with the closest door open to them without any attempt to investigate the possibilities of the artists that exist, live around them,
IS THERE ANY ART IN PARLIAMENT?...
WELL KNOW THERE IS THIS GREY CLOB.

Well now that I'm fifty, I hope that I don't feel the way that I look.

LONG LIVE ART,
LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC OF ART,
THE DEMOCRACY OF ART,
LONG LIVE THE INTELLIGENCE OF ART.

THE SAD TRUTH IS.

WE DO FEEL THE WAY WE LOOK...

CHOP,CHOP,CHOP.

SHOOT,

BAM,

DAM.

CH-CHING$$$...

BELOW ARE PHOTOS

OF THE

NATIONAL EXHIBITION.