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Well, I haven't been doing these Questions & Answers for the longest time but right now it's perfect to do one on Pittsburgh artist Daniel Lamorte, who's here in Montréal for art residency.
His project: (w)horoscope.org - mixed-media website devoted to the general audience, especially those astrology fanatics. I gave him the questions on understanding more on the project, and he kindly respond back, in great details and absolute honesty.* * * * *
Willy the Bum: Tell me the basis of finding the idea and how you decide to present as an online mixed-media project?Daniel Lamorte: For a self-professed agnostic, I have to admit to spending a lot of time thinking about religion, mysticism, and superstition. Over the summer, I was musing about the gap between our questions on life, death, loss, etc. and the answers offered by belief systems. Despite the failings of these systems, many people still freely choose to abandon their own agency and accept prefabricated solutions.
Horoscopes are a perfect example. Your average newspaper horoscope is full of feel-good fluff and predictions which are intentionally vague and, thus, non-fail. Each day, thousands of people are either encouraged or terrified by their horoscope. Unfortunately, these powerful paragraphs rarely discuss life's most difficult challenges: death, disease, loss of loved ones, poverty, etc.
I wanted to create a project which simultaneously pointed out this flaw in astrological projections, but also experimented with the “what if” : What if daily predictions talked about HIV and the Israeli occupation of Palestine instead of my petty lovers' quarrels?
The Internet is really the perfect vehicle for this kind of project. Not only am I able to make the
(w)horoscopes available to people worldwide, but I am also able to incorporate video, sound, text, and image. There is even the possibility for interactivity – something no newspaper horoscope could ever offer.
There are people who do read horoscopes just to ease their day, but your horoscopes evoke on worrying instead. Are there any positive aspects for people who would see out of your horoscopes?(w)horoscopes are not always confrontational. While some are designed to be challenging or disquieting, others are simply observations about life or general statements. One
(w)horoscope reminded readers to purchase a new toothbrush on a regular basis, while another was simply a mad-lib.
It's my hope that the
(w)horoscopes will not cause unnecessary paranoia. All the same, I try not to shy away from difficult or controversial topics. Where, other than art, can you hope to find the truth in 2011? The media has failed us. The government has failed us. Now, it is the job of art to tell the truth. Art should remind us that HIV is not gone – and will only come back stronger if we do not continue to fight it through education and prevention. Art should remind us that people suffer from disease and starvation, eventually dying, because we do not distribute resources equitably. Art should remind us that no American, no Canadian, not one single person on this planet is free until every person on this planet is free.
If
(w)horoscope.org makes someone uncomfortable, because it reminds them of their privilege and social responsibility, I am entirely unapologetic.
You said in your press release your project challenge society's relationship to religion, mysticism, and divination. Would you think that without them, that the world could be a better place, sort of an utopia?The famous Karl Marx quote, referring to religion as the “opiate of the people” certainly rings true to me. I grew up in an overly religious environment and spent my early 20's “de-programming” myself – removing the psychological burden of worrying about “sin”, eternal damnation, displeasing some invisible god. I also began to hack away the Puritanical nonsense Americans still hold onto. For instance, Americans are still afraid to discuss sexuality openly and honestly in public because it's “dirty.” Thank heavens my parents were “dirty” - otherwise I wouldn't be here!
That said, religion does have a calming effect. When faced with difficulties, it is certainly reassuring to feel you have an invisible, omnipotent ally in your corner. There is also a benefit to one's social health that comes with being part of a community of faith. At their very best, religion and spirituality are uplifting, encouraging. They remove the panic which comes from being born without a choice and dying without a choice.
I don't think the world would necessarily be “better” without religion, but there would certainly be much less denial - denial of science and truth, denial of culpability and responsibility. The problem may not be religion, but how we approach it. We should understand that our beliefs need to be contemporary and address our ever-changing lives.
I always joke that I only pray to Grace Jones. If there is creature who could possibly understand my disjointed, erratic supplication, it's her.
You also said that you inspire questions in others. Do you sense the real answers lie within these big questions on life?Some questions do not have answers. That's a reality we have to accept, and a reality which sits in opposition to human nature. Until you are dead, you will never know, by first-hand experience, what happens after death.
I suspect that “answers” are just a trick door in these cases. If I knew why bad things happen to good people, would I be content with the answer? No, because the answer would not undo the “bad things.” Instead, I would have new questions based on that answer.
Instead of posing these questions to ourselves in an attempt to find answers, I suggest that we pose the questions as a way of luring out our psychological “monsters in the closet.” The more I ponder losing the people I love, the more I can face my own shortcomings and become a more sympathetic person. The more I question the existence of god, the more I understand my fear of being powerless and become aware of my capacity to create change.
What would you get from visitors/audience after seeing your project? Will they understand more about themselves and to others?I hope that, after viewing the project, people will feel motivated to begin asking the “big questions” for themselves instead of waiting for some religious personality to offer up one-size-fits all answers. You don't need to be a religious expert or philosopher to ask these questions. You are a human – that is the only qualification you need to begin exploring.
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