Summary: The rhythm of capital and the thearter of terror:
The article elaborates about an Errorist International, which is a worldwide artistic and cultural movement started in 2005 whose core is the Buenos Aires - based artist collective etcetera. It uses photos, videos, artworks, theatrical works and poetic manifestations and interventionist performances to demonstrate and show their support for human rights. The group’s most photogenic and unmistakable trade mark is their weapons made from cardboards. They came together during the protestation of the presence of President George W. Bush. Most of the members are self-taught artists born in Argentina and Chile in the 1970’s and most of them have family members who were tortured in terror campaigns by Argentina, Chile and USA military or disappeared.
According to the article, etcetera began collaborating with HIJOS, an organization founded by the children of those who had disappeared in the terror campaigns in 1998. Together, they created exposure performances called escaraches, where a person’s past crimes and mistakes would publicly be announced and denounced. This created a form of justice from a social consensus, not one dependent upon the laws of the state. Their first performances included open provocation of recognizable personalities associated with dictatorship and violations of human rights. In one performance, they organized to denounce one of Argentina’s most powerful corporations, Ledsma group for its complicity with state terrorism. Ledsma had been the country’s largest sugar producing company and the biggest private employer in Jujuy. They staged the performance in the fine arts museum to symbolize the history of repression in Jujuy and the role of the museum during the post dictatorial liberalism.
In 2002, demonstrations intensified in Argentina. The policemen targeted the demonstrators resulting in a huge massacre that provoked rage in the country and a new President, Nestor Kricher was elected. He made efforts to neutralize opposition and criminalize social protests in a bid to make Argentina a “normal” state. Etcetera responded by staging a performance dubbed “armed people” that criticized the citizens who previously supported demonstrations, but readily embraced the state’s violent repression of the demonstrators.
In October 2005, the Errorists issued their first declaration where they clearly outlined the beliefs of errorism. They stated that their concepts and actions are grounded on the assumption that "error" is the reality's principle of order and that errorism among other things is a ritual of negotiations. It also discussed three treaties; errorist politics where they stated that for errorism politics is life, Sexuality where they outlined that lust eroticism is the main focus to the game of the love and language where they claimed metaphor was the most refined and favourite weapon for errorists.
Errorist International made its biggest impact when it staged an attack on air force one which provoked a strong anti-terrorist response by the state police. The law could not distinguish between art and real terrorism.
In my opinion, the Errorists have effectively used the artistic/activist strategy to condone practices that put a strain on human rights, practices that prevail in almost all states internationally. Its philosophy and practices should spread worldwide. Today, Errorism and its practice are enjoying a wide support of the international community. The article also provides an insight of the history of art. For instance, etcetera collaborated with HIJOS to stage the performance in the fine arts museum to symbolize the history of repression in Jujuy and the role of the museum during the post dictatorial liberalism.
