___________________________
26/03/2008
Project of the Work
MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS OF THE WORLD UNITE
- authentic
or virtual, of action or of thought -
THE SAD
SMOKY MOUNTAINS &
skyscrapers
ignition, through the use of symbols and thoughts, of broken hearted
mountains as well as broken hearts of those who go across them
a land living
sculpture_a social environmental sculpture
conceived and directed by Alberto Peruffo
[Throughout the world in proximity of the arrival of
the Olympic torch on the summit of Mount Everest
+ the inauguration of the Olympics in Peking]
Narrative synthesis of the work of art
Man has lost control of himself and of what he calls nature. The
governors of the world nurture the Olympic torch of hypocrisy. An
uncontrollable multitude of men and mountains kindle minds and hearts
so as to trace the sky with a net of signals visible from afar, a net of
ungovernable indignation and outrage, sadness and rebellion against the
daily violation of fundamental rights. What remains of man, the image of
one who has no respect for what differs from himself may it be
similar in ways or of a beaten and bent nature without remedy, is but
smoke. An evanescent color of spilled blood, shame on those who have
always remained in silence. Food for those who resist.
First ignition
At
13:00 hrs (local time), during the first ten days of May 2008
(period during which we expect the Olympic torch to reach the heights
of Mount Everest) when the sky is clear and blue and hardly any wind
blows on those mountains that are symbols to mountaineering,
especially the Alps such as Monte Bianco, Monte Rosa, Cervino, Monviso
etc. (there are no limits, neither geographical nor of altitude, but
we will try to concentrate our energies on the most significant alpine
heights, or, should one wish to go further, extra-alpine heights,
including minor mountain peaks as well).
Second ignition
As above, but extending it to cities
throughout the world. At 13:00 hrs, the midday of August 8th
2008, day upon which the Peking Olympic games will be inaugurated, on
all mountain peaks, hills or significant panoramic protuberances including artificial constructions such as skyscrapers and similars.
The carrying out of the work of art
Differently from the net of nets which
unites in a single point as applied to
The Wandering Cemetery, The
Sad Smoky Mountains foresees a net of
nets that develops in a diffused and uncontrolled manner (almost as to
contrast that which has to be fought), an unconfined net applicable
everywhere. The carrying out of the work of art from entwinement to
entwinement throughout the net is extremely simple and can be done with
the use of very economic means. It foresees the use of, besides that of
a pack-pack and all the necessary equipment to ascend that which is to
be ascended and the bringing back to valley of all that has been
unavoidably consumed, the following 4 fundamental elements:
A
good pair of legs :-[applied to a thinking head]-: for those who will
ascend mountains :-[better to do so with companions, a group of friends,
both for the final overall effect as well as for safety reasons
during roped parties]-:
A
series of red smoke signals such as SMOKE 2 or SMOKE 3,
available from any sports shop, armory, stationery store, hardware shop,
etc. The cost may vary between 1,5 and 10 €uro per smoke signal. It is
suggested to buy at least a couple per person (minimum five should you
succeed in finding only the SMOKE 1 or similar signals which are,
in fact, rather small. These should be lit contemporarily so as to
create an effect of consistency), and it is your duty to bring home and
to correctly dispose of the used signal shells which contain potassium
nitrates and sugar (a natural mixture used to construct smoke signals).
A
digital camera or film camera so as to document the ignition/ascension.
A
watch synchronized to legal time (local time).
For the first ascension, on the day defined by a data center –
summarized by an “art” director in strict contact with a weather
forecast center in concomitance with the evolution of events in Tibet,
along the Northern Ridge of Mount Everest – the smoke signals will be
contemporarily (not necessarily) lit on all
the mountains peaks reached, trying to capture the images not only of
our own ignited signals but also of those around us as well as those
visible from afar.
For the second ascension, independently from weather conditions, all
will proceed as described above except that it will occur on the
inauguration day of the olympics.
The sole data collection and information center posting these mountain
events and cities will be the following website
www.sadsmokymountains.net listing facts and events received
from local representatives. The ignitions will be coordinated and
subdivided according to geographical areas and local times.
Declared intent of the work of art
-
In an époque where
increasing abuses and unsustainable hypocrisies such as these emerged in
occasion of the upcoming Peking Olympics, where the fundamental rights
of the Tibetan people are repeatedly violated or where the highest Peak
on Earth is ensnared subduing it to the needs of a commercial game, an
olypmic game become perverse, no longer symbol of freedom and finiteness
but of omnipotence and self complacence, of what can be created within a
circuit constructed for the pleasure and glory of man, often violating
the very limits of human nature or manipulating the natural conditions
in which we act and behave, thus imposing false freedoms;
- In a “smoke in the eyes”
époque where governors of the world nurture illusions for those who
wanted them in power;
- In these days imminent to
the olympic celebration
It is our intent to
cast an alarm signal to all men of good will, a signal of support to
those who daily fight in favor of the fundamental rights of man and of
his inalienable surroundings, a sign of solidarity towards those
courageous leaders such as the Dalai Lama whose honesty and foresight
should be guides and examples to contrast the devastating darkness
created by moral carelessness of dozens, hundreds of politicians, men of
power and intellectuals without dignity and without scruples who believe
to be, or pretend to be unconquerable masters of our destiny, the last
of their mercerized goods.
Invitation to the
work of art
Dear friends,
What is being asked of
you may once again seem crazy or of too ephemeral nature to have
artistic or civil effects capable of determining the purpose that all of
us, authors and co-authors, prefix to reach: leaving a red sign in the
sky to express our dissent against the abuses and hypocrisies of our
times. A symbolic sign erupting from Earth, erupting from the mountains,
from our consciences the very moment the olympic flame is about to be
lit. A flame, which instead of guaranteeing the high principles to which
it is inspired, dramatically reflects the enormous contradictions of
this époque of ours, becoming a marketplace where all can be sold, even
man’s destiny along with the environment in which he miserably lives. It
seems as if the olympic flame destined to cross the Mount Everest Peak
will be conveyed to the Earth’s viscera, metabolized, refused and
regurgitated under a different form from the heights of other mountains
of the world (may these heights be real or artificial, rocky peaks or
sleepy consciences) so as to shade the sky with the color of blood, of
shame, of sadness and in last analysis, of rebellion; our individual act
of dissent that no one can control because single and elusive. Should
governments, commissions, sports teams, and athletes maintain silence in
front of the unacceptable facts currently taking place in Tibet, should
they maintain silence in front of those facts occulted in other parts of
the world including “western civilizations”, let them do so; we will
not bend ourselves to the complaisant of politics and economy, we will
use a simple gesture, an unspoken language visible from afar which each
and every one of us can manifest without words, without too much
difficulty and without running the risk of being touched because neither
damage nor violence whatsoever will be perpetrated against others. Our
sole weapon being the art, free and documentable creativity, a
net of nets that will pass on information, images, documents needed to
develop a work of art, the civil intent being superior to all other
intents, a social sculpture performed directly on and in unison with the
surrounding landscapes so as to underline the indissoluble alliance
between man and environment, between man and the other self, may this
self be animal-plant-mineral or similar to himself, a himself reflected
in the other; the violation of one proclaims the death of both.
Dear friends, I will be
waiting for all of you on top of mountain peaks. Let’s light the fire
of courage and indignation that simmers within.
Namasté.
Tashi delek.
Assalamu-alaikum.
La pace sia con voi –
May peace be with you.
>>
Alberto Peruffo, Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza, Italy
Italian Version
English Version
German Version
