"All experts serve the state and the media and only in that way do they achieve their status.
Every expert follows his master, for all former possibilities for independence have been gradually reduced to nil by present society's mode of organization. (...) Whenever individuals lose the capacity to see things for themselves, the expert is there to offer an absolute reassurance. From Guy Debord's Comments on the Society of Spectacle page 16 and 17)
I have worked on this idea for a long time now. It evolved from the idea of making a salon in my own private home in South London to the wish of establishing an independent enterprise in the Whitechapel area in East London not so far from the University where I occasionally work.
The biggest challenge so far has been to find an appropriate space. As I determined to not collaborate with any established institutions in terms of space hire, I have been dependent upon the knowledge of some of my colleagues and student's knowledge about the underground network in the area. One good advice was to look into a potential collaboration with Elastic Residence. Elastic Residence are nevertheless in the transition of establishing a new space in the area.
However, I have set a date for the first Parfett University arrangement to happen already late April 2008. As I am still struggling to find an appropriate space for the first occasion, I am very happy to get advice from people working in the arts field or who happen to know this area pretty well to post some advice.
While I continue my search, let me entertain you with a few more inspiring quotes from Guy Debord's Comment on the Society of the Spectacle.
(...) Spectacular power can similarly deny whatever it likes, once, or three times over, and change the subject; knowing full well there is no danger of any riposte, in ots own space or any other."
"For the agora, the general community, has gone, along with communities restricted to intermediary bodies or to independent institutions, to salons and cafes. (..) There is no place where people can discuss the realities which concern them.. "Nothing remains of the relatively independent judgement of of those who once made up the world of learning; of those; for example, who used to base their self-respect on their ability to verify, to come close to an impartial history of facts, or at least to believe that such a history deserved to be known. " (ibid. page 19)
(...)
"Once it attains the stage of the integrated spectacle, self-proclaimed democratic society seems to be generally accepted as the realisation of a fragile perfection. So that it must no longer be exposed to attacks, being fragile; and indeed is no longer open to attack, being perfect as no other society before it. (...) We have dispensed with that disturbing conception, which was dominant for over two hundred years, in which a society was open to criticism or transformation, reform or revolution. (...) Never before has censorship been so perfect. Never before have those who are still led to believe, in a few countries, that they remain free citizens, been less entitled to make their opinions heard. " (ibid. page 21 and 22)
"Such a perfect democracy constructs its own inconceivable foe, terrorism. Its wish is to be judged by its enemies rather than by its results. The story of terrorism is written by the state and it is therefore highly instructive. The spectators must certainly never know everything about terrorism, but they must always know enough to convince them that, compared twith terrorism, everything must be acceptable, or in any case more rational and democratic.
From Guy Debord's Comments on the Society of the Spectacle
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