[imitationpoetics] Fwd: [CTHEORY] Announcement: Support Steve Kurtz and the Critical Art Ensemble (fwd)
Alan Sondheim
Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2004 06:42:59 +1000
From: "][mez][" <netw...@hotkey.net.au>
Reply-To: ImitaPo Memebers <imitatio...@listserv.unc.edu>
To: ImitaPo Memebers <imitatio...@listserv.unc.edu>
Subject: [imitationpoetics] Fwd: [CTHEORY] Announcement: Support Steve
Kurtz and the Critical Art Ensemble
Imitation Poetics
Imitatio...@listserv.unc.edu
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>Begin forwarded message:
>
>>From: cth...@lists.uvic.ca
>>Date: June 1, 2004 5:52:21 PM EDT
>>To: cth...@lists.uvic.ca
>>Subject: [CTHEORY] Announcement: Support Steve Kurtz and the Critical Art
>>Ensemble
>>Reply-To: cth...@lists.uvic.ca
>>
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>CTHEORY THEORY, TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE VOL 27, NOS 1-2
>> *** Visit CTHEORY Online:
>> <http://www.ctheory.net>http://www.ctheory.net ***
>>
>>Announcement 04/06/01 Editors: Arthur and Marilouise Kroker
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>Announcement:
>>Support Steve Kurtz and the Critical Art Ensemble
>>=================================================
>>
>> Dear CTheory Readers,
>>
>> We recently received the following news which is really
>> disturbing in terms of civil rights and artistic freedom in the
>> present political climate spawned by the so-called "War on
>> Terrorism."
>>
>> We strongly encourage everyone to read the full announcement and
>> to support Steve Kurtz and the Critical Art Ensemble.
>>
>> Arthur and Marilouise Kroker, Editors
>>
>>====================================
>>
>>Dr. Steven Kurtz, professor of art at SUNY Buffalo and members of
>>the Critical Arts Ensemble are facing indictment at a grand jury
>>trial in Buffalo, NY, June 15. The FBI is bringing bioterrorism
>>charges against the group for possession of a biotechnology lab found
>>at Kurtz's home. Thus, the group will incur gigantic legal fees and
>>face imprisonment.
>>
>>Dr. Kurtz and CAE are internationally recognized lecturers in the
>>areas of biotechnology, information technology and media studies.
>>Their work has always been anti-terrorist, that is, against fear as a
>>cultural detriment to discussion. For more information and
>>support, see:
>>
>>www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/
>>
>>Louis Hillman
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>May 25, 2004
>>
>>FBI ABDUCTS ARTIST, SEIZES ART
>>Feds Unable to Distinguish Art from Bioterrorism
>>Grieving Artist Denied Access to Deceased Wife's Body
>>
>> ______________________________________________________
>> | |
>> | HELP URGENTLY NEEDED FOR LEGAL DEFENSE |
>> | |
>> | For donations contact: CAEde...@rtmark.com |
>> | |
>> |____________________________________________________|
>>
>>Steve Kurtz was already suffering from one tragedy when he called 911
>>early in the morning to tell them his wife had suffered a cardiac
>>arrest and died in her sleep. The police arrived and, cranked up on
>>the rhetoric of the "War on Terror," decided Kurtz's art supplies
>>were actually bioterrorism weapons.
>>
>>Thus began an Orwellian stream of events in which FBI agents abducted
>>Kurtz without charges, sealed off his entire block, and confiscated
>>his computers, manuscripts, art supplies... and even his wife's body.
>>
>>Like the case of Brandon Mayfield, the Muslim lawyer from Portland
>>imprisoned for two weeks on the flimsiest of false evidence, Kurtz's
>>case amply demonstrates the dangers posed by the USA PATRIOT Act
>>coupled with government-nurtured terrorism hysteria.
>>
>>Kurtz's case is ongoing, and, on top of everything else, Kurtz is
>>facing a mountain of legal fees. Donations to his legal defense can
>>be made at
>><http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/>http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/
>>
>>
>>FEAR RUN AMOK
>>-------------
>>
>>Steve Kurtz is Associate Professor in the Department of Art at the
>>State University of New York's University at Buffalo, and a member of
>>the internationally-acclaimed Critical Art Ensemble.
>>
>>Kurtz's wife, Hope Kurtz, died in her sleep of cardiac arrest in the
>>early morning hours of May 11. Police arrived, became suspicious of
>>Kurtz's art supplies and called the FBI.
>>
>>Within hours, FBI agents had "detained" Kurtz as a suspected
>>bioterrorist and cordoned off the entire block around his house.
>>(Kurtz walked away the next day on the advice of a lawyer, his
>>"detention" having proved to be illegal.) Over the next few days,
>>dozens of agents in hazmat suits, from a number of law enforcement
>>agencies, sifted through Kurtz's work, analyzing it on-site and
>>impounding computers, manuscripts, books, equipment, and even his
>>wife's body for further analysis. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Health
>>Department condemned his house as a health risk.
>>
>>Kurtz, a member of the Critical Art Ensemble, makes art which
>>addresses the politics of biotechnology. "Free Range Grains," CAE's
>>latest project, included a mobile DNA extraction laboratory for
>>testing food products for possible transgenic contamination. It was
>>this equipment which triggered the Kafkaesque chain of events.
>>
>>FBI field and laboratory tests have shown that Kurtz's equipment was
>>not used for any illegal purpose. In fact, it is not even possible to
>>use this equipment for the production or weaponization of dangerous
>>germs. Furthermore, any person in the US may legally obtain and
>>possess such equipment.
>>
>>"Today, there is no legal way to stop huge corporations from putting
>>genetically altered material in our food," said Defense Fund
>>spokeswoman Carla Mendes. "Yet owning the equipment required to test
>>for the presence of 'Frankenfood' will get you accused of
>>'terrorism.' You can be illegally detained by shadowy government
>>agents, lose access to your home, work, and belongings, and find that
>>your recently deceased spouse's body has been taken away for
>>'analysis.'"
>>
>>Though Kurtz has finally been able to return to his home and recover
>>his wife's body, the FBI has still not returned any of his equipment,
>>computers or manuscripts, nor given any indication of when they will.
>>The case remains open.
>>
>>
>>HELP URGENTLY NEEDED
>>--------------------
>>
>>A small fortune has already been spent on lawyers for Kurtz and other
>>Critical Art Ensemble members. A defense fund has been established at
>><http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/>http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/ to
>>help defray the legal costs
>>which will continue to mount so long as the investigation continues.
>>Donations go directly to the legal defense of Kurtz and other
>>Critical Art Ensemble members. Should the funds raised exceed the
>>cost of the legal defense, any remaining money will be used to help
>>other artists in need.
>>
>>
>>For more information on the Critical Art Ensemble, please visit
>><http://www.critical-art.net/>http://www.critical-art.net/
>>
>>Articles about the case:
>><http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/news-WKBW-2.html>http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/news-WKBW-2.html
>>
>>http://www.rtmark.com/CAEdefense/news-WKBW.html
>>
>>On advice of counsel, Steve Kurtz is unable to answer questions
>>regarding his case. Please direct questions or comments to Carla
>>Mendes <CAEde...@rtmark.com>.
>>
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>
>>*
>>* CTHEORY is an international journal of theory, technology and
>>* culture. Articles, interviews, and key book reviews in
>>* contemporary discourse are published weekly as well as
>>* theorisations of major "event-scenes" in the mediascape.
>>*
>>* Editors: Arthur and Marilouise Kroker
>>*
>>* Editorial Board: Jean Baudrillard (Paris), Paul Virilio (Paris),
>>* Bruce Sterling (Austin), R.U. Sirius (San Francisco), Siegfried
>>* Zielinski (Koeln), Stelarc (Melbourne), Richard Kadrey (San
>>* Francisco), DJ Spooky [Paul D. Miller] (NYC), Timothy Murray
>>* (Ithaca/Cornell), Lynn Hershman Leeson (San Francisco), Stephen
>>* Pfohl (Boston), Andrew Ross (NYC), David Cook (Toronto), Ralph
>>* Melcher (Sante Fe), Shannon Bell (Toronto), Gad Horowitz
>>* (Toronto), Andrew Wernick (Peterborough).
>>*
>>* In Memory: Kathy Acker
>>*
>>* Editorial Correspondents: Ken Hollings (UK),
>>* Maurice Charland (Canada) Steve Gibson (Canada/Sweden).
>>*
>>* Editorial Assistant: Ted Hiebert
>>* WWW Design & Technical Advisor: Spencer Saunders (CTHEORY.NET)
>>* WWW Engineer Emeritus: Carl Steadman
>>
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>
>> To view CTHEORY online please visit:
>> <http://www.ctheory.net/>http://www.ctheory.net/
>>
>> To view CTHEORY MULTIMEDIA online please visit:
>>
>><http://ctheorymultimedia.cornell.edu/>http://ctheorymultimedia.cornell.edu/
>>
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>
>>* CTHEORY includes:
>>*
>>* 1. Electronic reviews of key books in contemporary theory.
>>*
>>* 2. Electronic articles on theory, technology and culture.
>>*
>>* 3. Event-scenes in politics, culture and the mediascape.
>>*
>>* 4. Interviews with significant theorists, artists, and writers.
>>*
>>* 5. Multimedia theme issues and projects.
>>*
>>*
>>* The Editors would like the thank the University of Victoria for
>>* financial and intellectual support of CTheory. In particular, the
>>* Editors would like to thank the Dean of Social Sciences, Dr. John
>>* Schofield, the Dean of Engineering, Dr. D. Michael Miller and Dr.
>>* Jon Muzio, Department of Computer Science.
>>*
>>* No use of CTHEORY articles without permission. Works from the
>>* CTHEORY archive may only be reprinted with permission of the
>>* Editors. Email cth...@uvic.ca for more information.
>>*
>>* Mailing address: CTHEORY, University of Victoria, PO Box 3050,
>>* Victoria, BC, Canada, V8W 3P5.
>>*
>>* Full text and microform versions are available from UMI, Ann Arbor,
>>* Michigan; and Canadian Periodical Index/Gale Canada, Toronto.
>>*
>>* Indexed in: International Political Science Abstracts/
>>* Documentation politique international; Sociological Abstract
>>* Inc.; Advance Bibliography of Contents: Political Science and
>>* Government; Canadian Periodical Index; Film and Literature Index.
>>*
>>_____________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>ctheory mailing list
>>cth...@lists.uvic.ca
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>>
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