NARCISSUS GUIDE

Entropy

XIII Entropy One tendency of the 3rd World Visual Arts Scene is strongly related to the relative immobility of their customs and traditions. That cultural behaviour does not provoke any special urge to move from traditional ways of making art, and in the case of visual arts any urge to move from euclidian- cartesian space painting for instance. Another important factor there is the slow adaptations of new technologies, as well as knowledge from new schools of thought, which do not push hard at the affection for traditional painting tools or materials, or to state visuality issues related with modern life as in big 1st World Country cities. So we have here a case of Painting as an authentic daughter of regional as well national circumstances. "(Actually, we know that most of non western cultures are oral ones, which regard robotism or the capability of instant adjustment to any social situation without guilt as a desirable norm"; as well "rejections to innovations because of their sensitivity for the side effects involved")*. Despite the fact that transfer of technologies and knowledge is too slow, visual art from those regions is incredibly Expressive, Vital, Original and Vibrant. (Take a look at most of Latin-American and West African visual art which at the same time struggles from Tribal towards Global). "Paradoxically, electronic man is re-creating the conditions of the Orient and the Third World as the norm for our new world".*...Just on the crossroad of mutual complex influences... Moreover we must not consider any art underdeveloped and we must recognize mutual differences because in art, as in life, DIVERSITY is a virtual power enriching us. The only issue to be aware of is the emergent contradictions between two different visions of nationalism on one hand, and universalism on the other, which in my opinion are going to last along the 3rd Millennium to hopefully end when the next starts!. We should note that the emergence of the Information Age as a Global Phenomenon is breaking the symmetry with the patterns of the past, so the perception of immobility and slow transfer of knowledge is relative. And we have to suppose the time will come in which metatechnologies and knowledge will be transferred for those 3rd World areas to us. (Take a look to the "Four Tigers of the Pacific" as well as at how quickly Japan in less than five decades after War World II are feeding back the world!). In fact, as metademocracy** grows, the chance for survival stays and the spiritual hyperspace for freedom of expression, which is the essence of the arts grows. Therefore McLuhan's global village is becoming increasingly Multidisciplinary-Interactive and Cross-Cultural, and consequently the Visual Arts will more sooner than later be moved ahead by that phenomenon!. (Actually the Internet and the Web are, visually speaking, influencing everybody everywhere as one of the most important tools of our Era!). E-X-T-R-A-O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y!!!. * M.McLuhan & B.R.Powers. "The Global Village: Transformations in World Life .." 1992. Page 101. **A definition that fit the idea of metademocracy is Octavio Paz thougth: "Without freedom democracy is a despotism, without democracy freedom is a chimera". Octavio Paz, "Hombres en su Siglo y otros ensayos".1990, Biblioteca de Bolsillo, Editorial Seix Barral S.A. Barcelona, Spain.