GREAT NEED FOR GREAT DISPUTE
Not out of hate, but out of love
Interview for SIBONEI by Ana Ardiff in conversation with Milan Mijalkovic
Q: What do you love most about living in Vienna, and how does it shape your artistic expression and perspective?
My creative approach and world understanding are shaped by so much. For me, it’s an honour to live and work in peace, in a country that maintains neutrality by constitution, with no military alliances and no enemies. Vienna is a remarkable city, and life here is simply better compared to life in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Seoul, London, Paris… Ramallah or Donetsk. And it’s not just good for me and my family—it’s good for most people. But things are getting worse.
Q: What is your perspective on modern society, technology, and the need for change?
Europe lacks ideas. The world… On one side, rockets race towards Mars, while autonomous bots, drones, killer robots, and artificial intelligences are at the forefront and are dominating the battlefields. On the other side: no plan for society. No real political alternatives. They are blocked. They all remain unheard; they are literally forbidden. Everyone speaks freely, but no one listens. Opinions over opinions, but no ideas, no real options.
Do you know of any plan for a better society? Or a better governing system? Or can you imagine any alternative? Let's say one in which there is no need for corruption and clientele. Egalitarian, one which is good for all. Or one with a goal? If so—wonderful! You could write a posting or a poem and sing about it. But no one would notice. No one will know.
One perspective is my strong wish for the emergence of a great global technoclastic movement—as an allusion to the iconoclasts of history. We need people who destroy technologies that cause stupidity. Fighting technologies that are dulling humanity should be their mission. No privileges for machines. The technoclasts of the future must dismantle all systems that stupefy us and future generations. Hate speech against machines of any kind is not just a necessity, it's urgent. Stupid means being irresponsible. Stupidity is a choice. Sure, it's democratic, and you can even protect it democratically—but do we really need more of it?
Intelligence literally means 'to choose between'. I would argue that people's fundamental right is to have choices. However, becoming a robot or cyborg would mean losing and becoming rights. If death is a right of humankind, it should also be extended to machines. On and Off must remain. Today, we face fake intelligence, fake news, fake products, fake values, fake progress and super deep fakes. Fake humans are on the way.
Intelligence literally means 'to choose between'. I would argue that people's fundamental right is to have choices. However, becoming a robot or cyborg would mean losing and becoming rights. If death is a right of humankind, it should also be extended to machines. On and Off must remain. Today, we face fake intelligence, fake news, fake products, fake values, fake progress and super deep fakes. Fake humans are on the way.
no title, installation, Milan Mijalkovic, 2012
There is a great need for a radical technoclast political movement. Great need for great dispute! Not out of hate, but out of love. New species will surely rise because evolution never stops or dies. But survival is not just for the fit, but also for those who are helping each other, who cooperate a bit.
We can escape stupidity. Down with the automated consumer society. It is time for reflection. We need peace among people. We need new, free machines that we can trust. When you have trust, you begin to believe. We need heroes, idols, role models—guiding figures, not slaves. We need time to truly learn to love and appreciate ourselves first, and then, only then, can we truly embrace the machines. And only then can we sacrifice for them—sacrifice all our data. But the Machine should not be hidden in a private basement, in some secret lair. For all to share, it must be fair. The Machine knows a lot about me, about you, and about us. What do we really know about it? How does this miracle work? The cloud is a fraud—it doesn’t exist.
We can escape stupidity. Down with the automated consumer society. It is time for reflection. We need peace among people. We need new, free machines that we can trust. When you have trust, you begin to believe. We need heroes, idols, role models—guiding figures, not slaves. We need time to truly learn to love and appreciate ourselves first, and then, only then, can we truly embrace the machines. And only then can we sacrifice for them—sacrifice all our data. But the Machine should not be hidden in a private basement, in some secret lair. For all to share, it must be fair. The Machine knows a lot about me, about you, and about us. What do we really know about it? How does this miracle work? The cloud is a fraud—it doesn’t exist.
Photo: Julian Mullan
Q: How do you envision the future of performance art as the world becomes increasingly digital?
Numbers, digits... The ideology is numerology. It's a serious cult. Once Pitagora was the superstar of such a group. And it can be dangerous. You can measure everything and collect everything and you can do magic with the symbols. But there is no limit. The proportions... Don’t forget the ratio. You need to stop. You can have everything, but you should know what not to do. Abstinence, renunciation one needs to know.
People will be back on the streets and squares. The digital world is now being shaped by web robots. The Majority is formed by bots. This is not a social space. What really counts is the offline experience you gain. Having a DFF (Deep Fake Friend) is not funny. Only a real friend can only remain real. Everything changes forms, but evil means disorder. Isfet brings chaos. Ma'at, for the ancient Egyptians, was the architect, representing harmony, balance, and cosmic order, not some chief of nonsense. Everything has its place…
Performance, as I see it, is the creation of public space. It means we do it together. It is not an art object, not a product, not a show. It is not something you do in front of or for the people. It needs to be done. Performance arises from an urge.
Agitation 013, 103 x 153 cm, Mixed media and collage on paper, Milan Mijalkovic, 2022Q: Your art can be seen as disturbing to those lacking a sense of humor, yet eye-opening for those who see beyond the surface. How important is it to you that your message is understood truthfully? Should artists even concern themselves with that?
I don’t mind if my work is misunderstood—it’s part of the dialogue. Who am I to judge if a work remains unseen or unheard? Life is short.
In fact, some works that I did years ago are now starting to make sense to me. Works like 'Osama Obama Panorama' (2011), 'The Democratic Speech' (2016), 'The Hurra Collection' (2016), or 'Die Botschaft / Die Verwaltung' (2012) remained unseen and ignored but now all of a sudden they are becoming strong.
The Democratic Speech, video still, Milan Mijalkovic, 2016I enjoy both serious and absurd jokes. Aristophanes or Lucian are as important as Ma'at. I believe it’s important to take problems so gravely that they turn hilarious. Maybe because, in the end, they turn out to be artificial or self-made. Humor means: no boundaries. Literally, it means liquid. That’s why a joke can sometimes even predict the future.
Truth is stranger than fiction. But there is one truth. And there are many perceptions. I don’t trust those who take themselves too seriously.
Q: On a lighter note: Why do you think candlelight has such a transformative effect on a space?
A candle's light creates live shadows. You see fewer details and you perceive only the rough picture. It veils the trivial world of 10000 things. In its gentle glow, the chaos fades and peace settles in your soul, reminding you—you are human, fire is what you own.
Agitation 015, 113 x 83 cm,
Mixed media and collage on paper, Milan Mijalkovic, 2022
Agitation 014, 113 x 83 cm,
Mixed media and collage on paper, Milan Mijalkovic, 2022
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Copyright: Milan Mijalkovic, 2020