steirischer herbst

"steirischer herbst has re-invented itself many times in its history – an amorphous institution in progress that poses the question as to its conditions and necessities as a very individual platform for new art every year. As a festival, steirischer herbst is special in many respects: by dint of its many voices, its promotion of communication between the various disciplines of art, thanks to the link-up of aesthetic positions and theoretical discourse. Its clear-cut positioning as a festival of production and processes, of facilitation and initiation is also special – and increasingly necessary in the international politico-cultural situation.



The incorporation and networking of both international and regional artists, scenes and contexts is a central issue – steirischer herbst did, after all, emerge from an initiative of local scenes, on the one hand, and has taken productive advantage of its proximity to Slovenia, Croatia and the Central and Eastern European regions (long before the opening of most borders), on the other. Paradoxically (and with some self-irony), steirischer herbst can be referred to as an avant-garde festival with tradition: For forty years now, steirischer herbst has been one of the world’s few festivals of contemporary art that is by nature truly multidisciplinary." (via)

"When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills." Chinese proverb

The festival steirischer herbst (literally "Styrian autumn") takes place every autumn in and around the Austrian (Styrian) city of Graz. In her opening speech last weekend, festival director Veronica Kaup-Hasler pointed out that there were no simple solutions for complex situations. She said that building fences and turning Europe into a fortress were signs of not knowing about history, of not having thought about the future ... and of having no idea what art is about. Kaup-Hasler asked people to re-read the Geneva Convention on Refugees. Based on the initiative "Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur" (created in 2003 to grant free entrance to those who otherwise would not be able to attend cultural activities, such as people receiving social welfare or minimal retirement pensions), refugees are welcome to visit performances and exhibitions during the steirischer herbst free of charge if they are not sold out (via).

"Es gibt keine einfachen Lösungen für diese komplexen Anforderungen an unsere Zeit. Wer einfache Lösungen parat hat, etwa meint, dass das Errichten von Zäunen, die Perfektionierung der Festung Europa, das Verharren im vermeintlich Eigenen liegen, hat sich weder mit Geschichte auseinander gesetzt noch mit zukunftsfähigen Visionen. Und schon gar nicht mit Kunst." Veronica Kaup-Hasler

Programme 2015: link



- photographs by Burt Glinn (1925-2008), Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1964 via and via
- Interesting interview with Kaup-Hasler on art, culture and migration from 2013 (in German): link

Mr Cab Driver & Black And White America

Mr Cab Driver won't you stop to let me in
Mr Cab Driver don't like my kind of skin
Mr Cab Driver you're never gonna win
Mr Cab Driver won't you stop to pick me up
Mr Cab Driver I might need some help
Mr Cab Driver only thinks about himself
Here we go



Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver
Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver



Mr Cab Driver don't like the way I look
He don't like dreads he thinks we're all crooks
Mr Cab Driver reads too many story books
Mr Cab Driver pass me up with eyes of fire
Mr Cab Driver thinks we're all one sixty five'ers
Mr Cab Driver fuck you I'm a survivor
Oh yeah, one more time, ahah



Let me in

Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver
Mr Cab Driver, Mr Cab Driver (via)



"'Mr. Cab Driver' was written with a sense of humor. But, the whole thing stems from a day of trying to get to the studio to record. I was recording out at Hoboken, New Jersey at the time and I was standing at the corner of West Broadway and Broome, trying to get a cab, and I was late for the studio, and I had a lot of work to do, and I was passed by about 20 cabs. Then, finally, a cab stopped for me. I got in, and told him where I was going, and he kicked me out of the cab. And by the end of the whole thing, we were fighting on top of the cab, and you know, he was calling me nigger. And it got really out of hand. It was horrible. So, I went back to my loft, because I couldn't get to the studio. I was pissed off at that point. I had just been in a fight the middle of the street on top of a yellow cab, and I wrote 'Mr. Cab Driver' and went in the next day and cut it. And you know, the whole thing is about racism and what not, but it is written with a sense of humor." (via)

::: Lenny Kravitz (1989) Mr Cab Driver: LISTEN/WATCH




"I didn't know anything about problems until I went to first grade and it was brought to my attention. I knew my father looked different than my mother, but I didn't know that that meant anything. ... I had no idea that it was an issue." Lenny Kravitz




About the inspiration for the album "Black And White America", released in 2011:
“The inspiration came from a documentary that I was watching. … It was about a group of Americans, I’m sure somewhere tucked away, and they were saying they were disgusted by what America had become, they were disgusted that there was an African-American commander in chief; they’re not for racial equality, they would like America to be back to the way it was 100 years ago and, basically, they would do anything it took to make sure that their idea of America was restored, down to assassination, etc. And it was with such hatred and, obviously, we know that racism exists but somehow they threw me for a loop. I was like, Really? For real? So the chorus of the song … I was just saying to them, This is what’s happening, you need to know what time it is. It’s how I was raised; I grew up between two cultures at a pivotal time after the civil rights movement, and [it’s] the story of my parents, and what they went through. It’s very natural for me to write about that sort of thing.” (via)

About his parents:
"They would walk down the street (and) people would spit on them. My father would take my mother to a hotel on holiday and they would say, "No prostitutes allowed at the hotel" – very disgusting things. My father lost his side of the family `til I was born. It took them a minute to get it together. But in essence ... none of that bothered them. They were in love and they wanted to be together and that was that." (via)

About the song "Black And White America":
"It's a very special song to me and it's obviously got a lot to do with who I am. It's my story. It's everything I knew growing up. It's my parents' story – being an interracial couple growing up in the time of the civil rights movement. And it's the story of today – what we're going through, dealing with race and the fact that we have an African-American president." (via)

::: Black And White America (2011): LISTEN/WATCH



Martin Luther King, he had a vision
And that's a fact
He died so we could see that was his mission
So don't look back

There is no division, don't you understand
The future looks as though it has come around
And maybe we have finally found our common ground
We're the children of one father
If you're looking back don't bother
We're black and white America

In nineteen sixty three my father married
A black woman
And when they walked the street they were in danger
Look what you've done

But they just kept on walking forward hand in hand
The future looks as though it has come around
And maybe we have finally found our common ground
We're the children of one father
If you're looking back don't bother
We're black and white America (....) (via)




Lenny, the photographer: The book "Flash", released this year, shows photographs in which "Lenny Kravitz captures the essence of his life as a musician who is permanently in the public eye and a constant target for photographers, paparazzi, and fans. Seen from this angle, his works reveal much about the photographer, his life, and his subjects in a uniquely intense and aesthetic way." (via)



photographs by (c) Lenny Kravitz via and via and via and via and via and via and via and via and via and via and via and last one by (c) Frank Rumpenhorst via

Boundaries

The 2014 theme of the Young Photographers Alliance Mentoring Program, founded in 2009 to empower the next generation of photographers, was 'Boundaries':
"When the program’s theme was announced, it was congruent with a time when there was prevalent, open online discussion about what it meant to be a woman in a man’s world. Being able to read about the experiences of other women, and in turn share experiences with my female friends, made me feel connected, supported, and especially inspired to create work that interpreted this conversation in my own way. I was particularly determined to express the idea that oppression of women does not just occur in extreme isolated incidents (violent rape and physical abuse) but can also be felt in lesser forms during the day to day."



"In this series you will see one woman, an average young professional, depicted in routine daily situations. The concept of male entitlement is represented by male arms and hands performing a variety of actions that are overwhelming intrusive on her body and her life. In each situation she maintains a blank expression, a visual choice that demonstrates how conditioned we as women have become to accept this atmosphere as excusable and even normal. A slightly hyper-real post processing style was implemented to emphasize that these actions, whether large or small, all perpetuate the idea that “woman” does not mean the same thing as 'human'.” (via)



"Coming up on a year since brainstorming began for the Boundaries project, it feels like time to reflect on what we created and the reaction it has inspired.
Having a personal project go internet “viral” is a bit of a double-edged sword. It’s really an incredible feeling to have so many people see something in your work and want to share it. It’s even more incredible when complete strangers approach you with their personal accounts on ways they can relate to what you’ve done. I’ve heard deeply touching stories (no really- I’ve cried, a bunch) about others’ battles with sexism and been inspired by the ways they’ve overcome those circumstances, many of which involve awesome creative work of their own. I’ve had people tell me how shocked they were when they saw the photos, which may not seem like a positive thing, but I’m glad I created something that made them think. There is a negative side to “viral” as well; your quotes can be cherry-picked and misinformation is spread, and you are left wide open to thousands of uninformed opinions." Allaire Bartel (via)



photographs by Allaire Bartel via and via and via and via and via

Marciano

UNICEF Chile recently released a new video about "Marciano", a new student at school who is bullied by his classmates because he is alien, because he is different. A lovely clip for children with a happy end. UNICEF's message is:

"No pierdas la oportunidad de aceptar a alguien distinto. No pierdas la oportunidad de que te cambien la vida."
"Dont' miss the opportunity to get to know someone different. Don't miss a life-changing opportunity."

Intersection of Displacement, Age, Disability, Gender

Fleeing a country is not easy, in particular for older persons (via). Last year, 51% of refugees were under 18 years old (via). Considering the long and exhausting journey, it is not surprising that most of the refugees coming to Europe are young. About 80% of them are under 35. In fact, it is said that  it is very difficult to find a person over 50. According to the statistical agency of the European Union, asylum seekers lead to demographic changes in the European Union where the average age drops from 41.2 years to 34.7 years. Those coming from African countries are particularly young (Eritrea: between 18 and 25 years of age, Syria: between 20 and 29 years) (via).



Nevertheless, older refugees (here defined as 60+) make up a larger proportion than generally recognised. As of 2000, they made up between 8.5 and 30% of the population of concern to UNHCR. Older refugees may face problems such as a) social disintegration (erosion of formal or informal social support systems in war, e.g. being abandoned by their families who see no other way to survive), b) negative social selection (young, healthy, able-bodied persons are the first to leave refugee camps while the elderly, the sick, the handicapped and single mothers with young children are left behind) and c) chronic dependency (a consequence of being unable to secure family support or State benefits) more than younger people (via). According to a survey carried out by HelpAge International and Handicap International about two years ago, 54% of older Syrian refugees living in Jordan and Lebanon had a chronic disease. It can be assumed that figures have risen in the meantime (via). Still, older refugees

"should not be seen only as passive, dependent recipients of assistance. This policy seeks to highlight that older refugees often serve as formal and informal leaders of communities; they are valuable resources for guidance and advice, and transmitters of culture, skills and crafts that are important in preserving the traditions of the dispossessed and displaced. Older refugees can and do make an active contribution to the well-being of their next-of-kin, and only become totally dependent in the final stages of frailty, disability and illness. Older persons have taken the lead in return to countries as far afield as Croatia and Liberia. Older persons can also contribute to peace and reconciliation measures. Good programming requires that these roles are utilized." (via)

And then there are, of course, the very young who suffer extremely: children.

#refugees: 18 yr old Afghan man has pushed his grandmother in a wheelchair from Afghanistan to Hungary pic.twitter.com/3djeVqAai1
— Valerio De Cesaris (@ValerioDeC) 27. August 2015

Age is not the only additional burden. Among those who walk from one country to another, who move thousands of kilometres of "everything but comfortable barrier-free pedestrian zones" are refugees with disabilities. Even refugee camps are not barrier-free. Being a refugee is a hard fate; being a refugee with a disability even more (via).

::: BBC: Noujain Mustaffa, journey of a 16-year-old from Kobane to Europe on a wheelchair (3 minutes) WATCH



The intersection of displacement, disability and gender makes life even more dangerous. Worldwide, more than 51 million people were displaced due to severe conflicts in 2013 (according to UNHCR, figures have risen to 59.5 million people, via). Based on the 2013 figures, there may be at least 7.6 million persons in forced displacement - potentially even more (about 15% of any population are persons with disabilities). In other words, about 7.6 million persons with disabilities are "less able to protect themselves from harm, more dependent on others for survival, less powerful and less visible", hence at greater risk of gender-based violence (via). The same is true for their caregivers who are also mostly women and girls. Persons with disabilities in humanitarian settings, however, are usually excluded from services and programmes which aim to prevent gender-based violence. According to a study carried out by the Women's Refugee Commission and the International Rescue Committee from 2013 to 2015 in Burundi, Ethiopia, Jordan and the Northern Caucasus in Russia, sexual violence is the most often reported violence. Women and girls with mental and intellectual disabilities are particularly vulnerable. In addition, persons with disabilities are often not invited to join activities as programme managers understimate the benefits they could have. And even if they are invited, inadequate transportation and communication are barriers to access (WRC, 2015).

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 11 - Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies  

States Parties shall take, in accordance with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters. (via)

Most of the refugees currently seeking asylum in Europe are men. In 2014, 3/4 of those seeking asylum in Austria were male, only 1/4 female. This year, more than 37.000 persons sought asylum in Austria, only 21.5% of them are women. Women are often affected by conflicts differently. Families threatened by war try to anticipate what could be expecting them, discuss which family members could take the risk of leaving the country before any decision is made. Since fleeing a country is considered to be more dangerous for a woman than for a man - who can, in addition to the dangers threatening every refugee, face gender-based violence on her way to a safer life - it is more often men who leave the country. And, women often travel with little children or cannot swim, circumstances that make the journey even more dangerous. Often, men flee and try to bring their families to a safe place in a legal way by applying for a family reunification (via).



::: "Super Mario" turns into "Refugee Mario": Syrian refugee's satirical take "Refugee Mario" explains the reality for Syrians crossing Europe using the narrative of a game. WATCH



- Women's Refugee Commission (WRC) (2015) "I See That It Is Possible" Building Capacity for Disability Inclusion in Gender-Based Violence Programming in Humanitarian Settings. NY, download
- photographs (1-3) by Eli Reed "The Lost Boys of Sudan", Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, August 2001 via and by John Vink (Sudanese displaced) via and (Angolan schoolboy displaced, following classes held in church) via and by Nicos Economopoulos (Somalian refugees at Hiswa camp, Aden, 1992) via

Jonathan Hart + Dan Hartman

"This is my boss - Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He’s quite a guy. This is Mrs. H – she’s gorgeous. What a terrific lady. By the way, my name is Max. I take care of them, which ain't easy, 'cause their hobby is murder."
Opening credits, narrated by Max, the butler (Season 1)

"This is my boss - Jonathan Hart, a self-made millionaire. He’s quite a guy. This is Mrs. H – she’s gorgeous. She’s one lady who knows how to take care of herself. By the way, my name is Max. I take care of both of them – which ain’t easy; ‘cause when they met, it was murder."
Opening credits, narrated by Max, the butler (Season 2)



Jonathan Hart, successful CEO of Hart Industries, a global conglomerate based in Los Angeles, lives a happy jetset lifestyle with his wife Jennifer, a freelance journalist who solves crimes together with him. At least this is the case during the "Hart to Hart" television series with Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers originally released from 1979 to 1984 (via). NBC network is currently considering a remake of the series in which Jennifer Hart is replaced by Dan Hartman ... the Harts become a gay couple (via). According to a description, the new show will be "A modern and sexy retelling of the classic series" about "attorney Jonathan Hart and free-spirited investigator Dan Hartman, who must balance the two sides of their life: action-packed crime-solving in the midst of newly found domesticity.” (via). Release date and casting are not yet communicated but one thing is sure: "If it's done right, a gay-themed adventure/mystery series could be groundbreaking (...)" (via).



photographs of Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood (who originally ABC wanted to co-star as Jennifer Hart) via and via

Quoting Paul McCartney

"Why would I retire? Sit at home and watch TV? No thanks. I'd rather be out playing." 
Paul McCartney



Tiny Paul McCartney Friday Link Pack:

::: Paul McCartney (1973) Medley: WATCH/LISTEN
::: Paul McCartney (2013) Queenie Eye WATCH/LISTEN
::: Paul McCartney (1976) Silly Love Songs WATCH/LISTEN

- - - - - - - -
photograph of Paul by Linda McCartney via

The -ism Series (23): Populism

"Populism is the claim to raise 'the people' against 'the others' - against rulers, the political class; and/or against those who are not seen as part of the people, against those seen as 'foreign', as 'alien'."
Pelinka, 2008



Populism, the claim to represent and fight for the true wishes and interests of "the people", does not refer to a specific programme but to a specific technique, i.e., mobilising people against "those above" such as the government or the parliament, political parties, elites that can be defined in most different ways.




Contemporary populism which is currently rather widespread in Europe is characterised by "its cry for more democracy". This so-called cry for more democracy has potentially harmful aspects since it can be instrumentalised by plebiscites. "By stressing the plebisciterian against the representative component of democracy, populism is majority-oriented and tends to define democracy as majority rule. This leads to the populist tendency to play down or ignore the basic rights of individuals and minorities - be they ethnic, linguistic or religious minorities. As liberal democracy is based on the principle of majority rule as well as on the principle of minorty protection, this aspect of populism, creates at least tensions between liberal democracy as it is understood today and any kind of populist agenda: Liberal democracy is not just government by the majority - it guarantees at the same time protection of minorities and individuals." (Pelinka, 2008)




- Pelinka, A. (2008) The Rise of Populism, 39-48, in: Swoboda, H. & Wiersma, J. M. (eds.) Democracy, Populism and Minority Rights. Renner Institut
- photographs by the great Vivian Maier (1926-2009) via and via and via and via and via

Selecting Headlines, Constructing Reality

More than 200.000 crimes are reported to the police in Vienna every year, less than 2.000 of them are communicated to media. According to an analysis of 3.726 incidents passed to media by the police in 2013 and 2014, there seems to be a pattern in the selection of what is to be reported and what not. While robbery is number one on the list, only every 43rd rape is communicated to media which creates a distortion of reality. The nonrendering of assistance to persons in danger and racist violence are non-existent in media although being reported to the police. At the same time, almost every single robbery or assault in connection with jewellers, banks or taxi drivers is passed to journalists. Drug-related crime, number six on the list, is communicated to journalists every second day. The analysis also shows a correlation between the amount of incidents reported to the press and the districts in which they happen.
Selections do have an impact on our conception of reality and they are also shaped by what the police reports. After all, between 80 and 90% of all the crimes we read about were originally reported by the police (via).



photograph by William Helburn (1960) via

Blackbird

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise



Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free



Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night



Blackbird fly, blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night



Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise ...



"It is great to realise so many civil rights issues have been overcome."
Paul McCartney

The Beatles song "Blackbird" (bird refers to girl) was written by Paul McCartney in Scotland. He was inspired by the civil rights movement and the tensions in the US which escalated in spring 1968. The song was released the same year (via). Similarly, Nina Simone's Blackbird is about a black woman's struggles.

I had been doing poetry readings. I had been doing some in the last year or so because I've got a poetry book out called Blackbird Singing, and when I would read "Blackbird", I would always try and think of some explanation to tell the people, 'cause there's not a lot you can do except just read the poem, you know, you read 10 poems that takes about 10 minutes, almost. It's like, you've got to, just, do a bit more than that. So, I was doing explanations, and I actually just remembered why I'd written "Blackbird", you know, that I'd been, I was in Scotland playing on my guitar, and I remembered this whole idea of "you were only waiting for this moment to arise" was about, you know, the black people's struggle in the southern states, and I was using the symbolism of a blackbird. It's not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it's a bit more symbolic. 
Paul McCartney, Interview with KCRW's Chris Douridas, 25 May 2002 episode of New Ground

::: Blackbird on YouTube: LISTEN/WATCH



photographs mostly by Linda McCartney via and via and via and via and via and via and via and via

Narrative images: William Casby, born in slavery

"I think again of the portrait of William Casby, "born a slave", photographed by Avedon. The noeme here is intense: for the man I see here has been a slave; he certifies that slavery has existed, not so far from us; and he certifies this not by historical testimony but by a new, somehow experiential order of proof, although it is the past which is in question - a proof no longer merely induced: the proof-according-to-St.-Thomas-seeking-to-touch-the-resurrected-Christ. I remember keeping for a long time a photograph I had cut out of a magazine - lost subsequently, like everything too carefully put away- which showed a slave market: the slavemaster, in a hat, standing; the slaves in loincloths, sitting. I repeat: a photograph, not a drawing or engraving; or my horror and my fascination as a child came from this: that there was a certainty that such a thing had existed: not a question of exactitude, but of reality: the historian was no longer the mediator, slavery was given without mediation, the fact was established without method."
Barthes, cited in Wexler, 2012



On 24th of March 1963, fashion photographer Richard Avedon (1923-2004) took one of his most powerful photographs in Algiers, Louisiana - a photograph of William Casby, a former slave, a photograph that has often been analysed, e.g. by Barthes (see first paragraph of this posting). Barthes's analysis of the photograph is often quoted but also criticised for taking place within a "Eurocentric analytical framework" (Burnett, 1995). Wexler joins this criticism and states that for Barthes, Casby still seems to be a slave, or rather, slavery seems to be Casby's "absolutely pure" meaning. Casby's eyes, however, reveal a tiny reflection of both Avedon and his cameras making "the photographic apparatus into part of Casby's own body. Casby aims his doubled lenses directly at the spectator, shooting back the objectifiying gaze." By doing so, Avedon reconceptualises the power relations (Wexler, 2012). Nevertheless, a certain limitation to power relations can be assumed when asking the hypothetical question whether William Casby could have requested a new photograph from Richard Avedon (Burnett, 1995).
Not much is known about William Casby - only that he was born into slavery in Algiers, Louisiana, and that his photograph was sold for € 56.200,-/$ 76.981,- at Christie's (via).

- - - - - - - - - - -
- Burnett, R. (1995) Cultures of Vision. Images, media & the Imaginary. Indiana University Press
- Wexler, L. (2012) "A More Perfect Likeness" Frederick Douglass and the Image of the Nation. In: Wallace, M. O. & Smith, S. M. (eds.) Pictures and Progress. Early Photography and the Making of African American Identity, 41-82. Duke University Press
- photograph via

The -ism Series (22): Collective Narcissism

"An inflated belief in one’s own superiority and the need of its constant recognition and validation by others are characteristic for narcissism. This narcissism is collective, rather than individual, when the beliefs concern a group. Thus, collective narcissism is defined as an emotional investment in a belief about the unparalleled greatness of one’s own group that is contingent on continuous validation from others."
Golec de Zavala et al. (n.d.)



Collective narcissism means favouring one's own group, an attitude that is often accompanied by hostility against other groups (Golec de Zavala, 2012). German sociologist, philosopher and musicologist Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969) borrowed from Freud when analysing the phenomenon of Nazism and adopted his view that groups often act as a "negatively integrating force" since negative emotions towards "the other", out-groups such as people with a different religion or skin tone, offer a narcissistic gain for followers. Just belonging to the in-group makes them "better, higher, and purer than those who are excluded". Weak egos benefit from this mechanism as collective narcissism is the compensation for social powerlessness when members of the in-group turn themselves "either in fact or imagination to which they attribute qualities which they themselves lack and from which they profit by vicarious participation" (Cook, 2008). Another "advantage" is that people can be narcissistic about almost any social group they (feel they) belong to. In other words, there are a great many situations in which one can demonstrate collective narcissism (Golec de Zavala, 2012).



"(...) collective narcissism is exaggerated, but insecure, collective self-esteem. It consists of a very high regard for and glorification of the group. This is accompanied by a conviction that others do not appreciate the group’s greatness sufficiently and, consequently, treat it unfairly. Importantly, collective narcissism is related to self-reported, high esteem of the group accompanied by a lack of its positive regard on the implicit level: a level of automatic and uncontrolled evaluations that are not fully accessible to conscious reflection. In other words, collective narcissists, possibly, doubt the greatness of their group quite unconsciously. Even if they are aware of these doubts they do not acknowledge them. Instead, they report high certainty of their positive opinion about their group."
Golec de Zavala (2012)




- Cook, D. (2008) Theodor W. Adorno: an introduction. In Cook, D. (ed.) Theodor Adorno, 3-20, Key Concepts. New York: Routledge
- Golec de Zavala, A. (2012). Collective narcissism. In D. J. Christie (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Peace Psychology. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
- Golec de Zavala, A., Cichocka, A. & Iskra-Golec, I. (n.d.) Collective Narcissism Moderates the Effect of In-group Image Threat on Intergroup Hostility. online
- photographs by Bruce Gilden via and via and via and via

"The dignity of men is unimpeachable."

Part of the construction of "the other" when discussing migrants or refugees is the differing religion. And while, according to the xenophobic, Islam-bashing rhetoric, the "Christian West" is threatened by non-Christians coming to Europe, this rhetoric completely ignores the very fact that this view is not compatible with so-called Christian values (one Eastern European country even had the "brilliant" idea to only accept Christian refugees from Syria, via). In his sermon, Jens Brandebusemeyer, a German pastor in Lower Saxony, quoted the sentence "The dignity of men is unimpeachable."  He continued that misanthropists who attacked asylum seekers physically or verbally with right-wing slogans could not be Christians, that solidarity with those in need, with refugees, had always been a responsibility of the Church. He concluded by inviting those who disagree with this message to leave the Church (and with "leave" he really meant leave, i.e., abandon/withdraw from the Church). The internet is celebrating this hero (via).



photograph of a man in Harlem by Weegee via

The Beatles: "Artists will not be required to perform before a segregated audience."

"We never play to segregated audiences and we aren't going to start now. I'd sooner lose our appearance money."
John Lennon



According to a contract and rider drawn up before a concert at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, in 1965, The Beatles required electricity and water, mirrors and clean towels in all dressing rooms, a minimum of 150 police officers for protection, a special drumming for Ringo Starr, ... and refused to play for segregated audiences although the management of the stadium insisted on a segregated show. At the end, the audience was integrated. The documents, by the way, were auctioned in September 2011 (via and via). In the US, The Beatles also had an issue with staying at the Hotel George Washington in Jacksonville, Florida, because of its segregation policy. They cancelled the rooms and stayed elsewhere (via and via).



::: Just wow: The Beatles Rooftop Concert 1969 London: WATCH



photographs of the legendary rooftop concert via and via and via