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RE: [microsound] CAE artist arrested [OT]
I just wanted to sound off a bit on this issue, seeing as it has popped
up in a number of places, including this group and wired. Mr. Kurtz was
on the same panel I was involved with (The Jackal Project) at the
Version>02 festival two years ago, and frankly, he made me very nervous.
As I recall, he was placing an emphasis on creating genetic material to
infiltrate and counter GMO from Monsanto and other companies. This, to
me, sounded like a very serious and dangerous proposition. Mr. Kurtz
sounded very serious about the subject material. I don't want to come
off as an expert on Kurtz's efforts, but it did not read to me as
performance art, but as a call to action. Of course, GMO goods should
be heavily regulated, monitored and tested, and even then I'm not
confident that it can stop some serious problems from arising. But to
suggest that individuals should go and create virulent genetic strains
of their own to fend off other potentially risky genetics is, in
essence, biological and economical warfare. Basically, a really, really
bad idea.
I would not go as far as to suggest that his wife had passed away as a
result of the work he is engaged in, but it might make me nervous living
next door. I remember being pretty pissed off that someone would even
suggest such a stupid idea as to "reseed" crops in order to infect GMO
strains. Who knows what disasterous effects could occur? Just last
week, Wired ran an article discussing the dangers of allowing seeds and
spores of GMOs modified for producing pharmaceuticals out into the open
air. I'm all for advances in technology, but we need to proceed with
patience and caution on both sides.
Christopher
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christopher Sorg
Multimedia Artist/Instructor
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
http://www.csorg.org
csorg@xxxxxxxxx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tasty radish [mailto:tastyradish@xxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Sunday, May 30, 2004 2:09 PM
> To: microsound
> Subject: [microsound] CAE artist arrested
>
>
> FBI ABDUCTS ARTIST, SEIZES ART
> Feds Unable to Distinguish Art from Bioterrorism
> Grieving Artist Denied Access to Deceased Wife's Body
>
> Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) collective member 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/
>
>
>
> 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
> 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.
>
> To make a donation, please visit
> http://www.rtmark.com/
>
> CAEdefense/
>
> For more information on the Critical Art Ensemble,
> please visit
> 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.html
On
advice of counsel, Steve Kurtz is unable to answer
questions regarding
his case. Please direct questions or comments to Carla
Mendes
CAEdefense@xxxxxxxxxxx
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