The Open World of Dobrica Kamperelic John Held, Jr. Part II Andrej Tisma's, "Networking Statement No. 4: Networking Under Embargo," deserves special attention. Dated June 7, 1992, it lays the foundation for the concerns held by Yugoslavian mail artists over the next couple of years, as they found themselves in a cultural embargo by the United Nations. These artists, who had been active in networking for the past 20 years, now found themselves isolated by the very western powers they had previously admired, despite their suppression under communist regimes. "Dear friends in the whole wide world. As you know, Yugoslavia,the country in which I am living, and networking for twenty years, is under the TOTAL EMBARGO. Food, fuel, import and export trade, transportation, scientific, technical, sports and cultural exchange are now under international blockade. Really a horrible feeling." "The politicians, who are the real target of the embargo will not feel it on their skin. But children, women, old people, and a million refugees will be the victims. Hunger, poverty, civil war or international military intervention could be our future." "We, the intellectuals who have protested and fought against the war in Yugoslavia from its beginning, we feel innocent in this situation, which is totally unpredictable. "For me NETWORKING is much more important than before, because it is now the only channel for cultural and any other kind of exchange with the rest of the world. So i will continuee my communication with you as long as the Post Office allows. After that I can only continue with telepathic communication, or keep waiting for the Kustermann's Personal Delivery to get some news from you." "In the meantime let's share our dreams about happiness, democracy, justice and brotherhood. LET LOVE RULE THE WORLD!" This issue of OPEN WORLD also announces the forthcoming Anti-Embargo Net-Congress organized by Tisma for the beginning of September 1992 in Sr. Karlovci. A hotel was being reserved for foreign guests. But nobody came. There were eight Yugoslavian networkers there (Bogdanovic, Jovanovic, Kamperelic, Klacik, Radanovic, Supek, Tisma, Todorovic), but no foreigners. In an appendix to the declaration, "Deblockade of Creativity," Tisma writes, "We have invited more than 70 foreign networkers to our Congress. We invited them in this a tragic moment when our country is totally isolated from the rest of the world, to come as AMBASADORS OF PEACE AND FREE CULTURAL EXCHANGE. The were invited to BREAK THE EMBARGO and prove that Network is capable to surmount all barriers and embargos." "In spite of our explicit request to networkers to come and show their solidarity, and in spite of optimal conditions that we provided for their stay and work, nobody came from abroad." "We accept that as their personal and moral decision. But than it puts in doubt the network as a true movement for collaboration and confidence between people of the world." Besides the issuing of declarations, Yugoslavian networkers were active in public actions. Tisma performed a (SPI)ritual action during the Congress in front of a Orthodox and Catholic church in an attempt to bring together religious factionalism contributing to the war. Jaroslav Supek gave a television interview and explained his Embargo-Stamp project, while wearing a postage stamp mask. Aleksandar Jovanovic also donned a small cage around his head in a performance called Embargo-Cage. Kamperelic also performed at the cultural center in Sr. Karlovica in an action entitled YU Embargo Circulus Vitiosus. Kamperelic also appeared on Belgrade television talking about an artistic response to the cultural embargo. As 1992 drew to a close, the last OPEN WORLD of the year was published with a barrage of news about Networker Congresses around the globe, anti-embargo actions at home ("Make Art - Not Politics"), and the visit of Net-Mail Artists Peter K�stermann and Angela P�hler with many of the Yugoslavian networkers previously discussed. As one of the only networkers to visit Yugloslavia in this period, Kustermann and P�hler's visit was an inspirational boost to the demoralized and besieged artists. Tisma went so far as to carve the rubber stamp, "K�stermann and P�hler Have Changed Our Lives." This method of carved rubber stamps became a weapon of choice for Tisma, art critic for the local newspaper in Novi Sad. OPEN WORLD # 76, published in the spring of 1993, contained two other Tisma creations, "Serbia U.N.'s Concentration Camp," and "Embargo on Tourism (Sorry H. R. F.)." Kamperelic editorialized in his harshest language yet. "We're afraid for the peace at this moment, and we fell this is very critical moment, is more far than before. And total isolation of our country is just near. So, we don't care now for our future - it see so unclear and fictive. We understand how many people all over the world just lie how they are occupied with peaceful efforts, it's NOT the truth. Also some network people wouldn't understand all aspects of the extreme hard situation here and wouldn't (see) THE TRUTH. So, once again: you can trust us or not - its your choice! Our choice is THE TRUTH! And we stay (inside/inner life) OPEN WORLD, but UN, democratic Europe and the rest treat us as Prisoners..." But it was Andrej Tisma who put the situation in it's sharpest focus. "To isolate one country or nation by laying an embargo on its culture and communication is an uncivilized act. To stop circulation of ideas in the globalized world of today is unnatural. Every single creative voice must not be neglected or silenced, because it is a common good. "Cultural blockade of Serbia is a reflection of helplessness and shortsightedness of the world oppressors. It has the same effect as stopping the bloodstream on any part of the body, which after a while causes gangrene and spsis of the entire organism." "In order to offer resistance to this degrading process, creative forces of the world should be connected and collaboration with isolated cultures and individuals must be established - to preserve the "bloodstream" and sanity of mankind." (Prevent Civilization Gangrene, January 10,1993. Aleksandar Jovanovic started doing performances in a cage to dramatize the condition of the Serbian artists. Sandor Gogoljak from Odzaci began the production of his anti-embargo postage stamps. Other artists from outside Serbia began showing support. Stephen Perkins from Iowa City published a booklet, "Remove the Blockades to an Open World." Luce Fierens from Belguim dedicated an issue of his "POSTFLUXBOOKLET" to Yugoslavia. Crackerjack Kid dedicated an issue of his Netshaker to the Yugoslavian conflict, although many of the YU networkers took exception to some of his conclusions. OPEN WORLD #77, published in the fall of 1993, was only the second issue of the year, and was to be the last. It was full of information on anti-embargo cultural activities. Dobrica was the organizer of a big multi-media exhibition, "Interrelationships-Open world/Open Mind," held in July in Belgrade. There were reports of two other publications: Jovanovic's Cage and Andrej Tisma's Love that focused on the cultural embargo. Nenad Bogdanovic did a video/live performance, I Give Communication. Serb artists seemed as sharply determined as ever to bring their current circumstances before the world's attention. Kamperelic writes in his introduction that, "Our life is a kind of slavery life, we're still is strict blockade but we are still out of war. Every week we receive 1$-4$ just to buy some food...we are THANKFUL for help to Fernando Aguiar, Emilio Morandi, Klaus Rupp, Planet of Love, Rodger Nitz, Steve Perkins, Fernand Barbot and Silvia Barsi. We never forget how you help us in this terrible time.!" By OPEN WORLD #78, published in the spring of 1994, near-war conditions seemed almost normal in the former Yugoslavia. In fact there was a picture of Dobrica and his wife Rorica on the front cover from their past summer vacation on the Montenegro Riviera. But there were continuing signs of change, most notably, the couple's leaving their apartment for another. Inside the periodical there was the by now familiar news of social actions both within the former Yugoslavia, and support from outside. Current networking projects like the continuing travels of Angela (P�hler) and Peter (K�stermann) Netmail were chronicled (currently in Uzbekistan!), and a performance by Japanese networker Mayumi Handa with La Peintre Nato in Paris. In OPEN WORLD #80, normalcy seemed to prevail. Dobrica was organizing an exhibition, "Artist's Free Zones," in Belgrade. Hyperinflation was under control, and the Kamperelic's were settling into their new apartment. Jaroslav Supek helped organize a big exhibition of Yugolslavian mail artists at the Contemporary Art Museum in Belgrade, which gave greater visibility and credibility to this group within their own country. In his editorial Kamperelic wrote that, "Since 1985 many nice people all over the world collaborate with us, sending nice art materials and/or visiting us (last guests have been Angela and Peter Netmail in 1992 (rest just promised us visit). Besides many trouble OPEN WORLD stay alive and this issue is proof of vitality, just in the time of "Artists Free Zones" project because our OPEN WORLD is an artistic free zone too! We are also very thankful to all networkers who help us during the past nine years, especially after isolation and blockade 1992. We stay inside (inner life) OPEN WORLD, but also it's OPEN WOR(L)D! Fighters for truth! page fourteen OPEN WORLD #81 was published in the summer of 1994 with "fresh news from alter-art scene across the world! 1994 is the most fertile year in our art-life, we're pleased, but also tired from many projects in 1994!" In this issue my own participation in a mail art exhibition in Cuba was announced, as well as my forthcoming visit to Belgrade and Novi Sad in October. Right before I left, I opened an exhibition at my own Modern Realism Gallery in Dallas, Art Above the Embargo, featuring the work of Yugoslavian networkers involved with anti-embargo activities. OPEN WORLD #83 was published in January 1995 celebrating ten years of the magazine. The masthead of the issue carried the message, " THE SWING OF ENTROPY, HERE AND NOW, WILL BE SUSPENDED AND STATE OF COLLECTIVE FRUSTRATION REPLACED WITH OVERALL HARMONY IF WE REMAIN DEDICATED TO THE FIGHT FOR TRUE GOALS OF NEW AGE. In many ways the publication of Open World is a Utopian adventure. It is a magazine that reaches out to all who want to share in a common journey toward an increased understanding of world culture and people. How easy it would have been to give up on the dream after seeing the destruction of cultures so close to home. How easy it would have been to discontinue publication when the United Nations and the international community imposed a cultural ban against one's fellow citizens. But to his everlasting credit, Dobricia perseveres despite these obstacles. He continues to publish, and continues to call his magazine Open World. He knows there are injustices in the world. He sees them close to his home - far closer then anyone of us would ever care to witness. Still Dobricia holds on to the hope that justice will prevail, that one day the world will come together again, and that there is still hope for an international exchange among friends. In the Open World there is good and bad, communication and misunderstanding. The important thing is to keep our eyes on the light shining ahead, toward the inevitability of a shrinking world and a better informed population seeking creative solutions to our common problems. On his fiftieth birthday, we salute Dobrica Kamperelic, and his vision of an Open World. John Held, Jr. Back to Writings/Essays |