immediatism

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God Nederland & Orange #4 and #7, 1967, back covers, from Pierre Ponant’s private collection

essay

by HAKIM BEY

 

Cult American author and poet Hakim Bey (1945–2022) was known for his radical anarchist theories. His books include “T.A.Z.: The Temporary Autonomous Zone”.

 

I. All experience is mediated — by the mechanisms of sense perception, mentation, language, etc. — & certainly all art consists of some further mediation of experience.

II. However, mediation takes place by degrees. Some experiences (smell, taste, sexual pleasure, etc.) are less mediated than others (reading a book, looking through a telescope, listening to a record). Some media, especially “live” arts such as dance, theater, musical or bardic performance, are less mediated than others such as TV, CDs, Virtual Reality [Social Media, Generative AI]. Even among the media usually called “media,” some are more & others are less mediated, according to…