I have been reading about Cantocore for a number of days totally obsessed by the complexity of the concepts presented on its site http://cantocore.com/, but it was not until I read the following statement that I was really sold on the idea; ‘Cantocore is the reality of life versus the theory set forth by jurisdictions where people live.’ As an artists who’s personal world view leans towards ontological anarchy, this statement elevates Cantocore from a link on Jon Phillip’s website to the top of the bookmark list on my favorite web browser. Rather than getting into any specifics about the content this review will provide my basic assesment of the site and I encourage you to explore the site in depth as each of the many interactions described are well worth your time in the bloggosphere.
We live in an increasingly global society, the implications of which are vastly unknown and almost totally unexploited as a source of artistic inspiration. Cantocore attempts in my mind to establish a framework through which this unexploited territory can be explored via collaborations between artists in Guangzhou and San Francisco. Here, cultural exchange and the examination of this exchange becomes the medium of the art itself. This quote, an excerpt for the description of ‘Free On Board’ sums it up perfectly.
‘the collaboration, “Cantocore,” takes its inspiration and name from the rapid economic, social, and cultural changes taking place in Guangzhou, the third most populous city in China. Even in the midst of economic crises, factories are producing, Canto hip-hop is blasting, and the cultural industries are progressing. Over the last 30 years cities such as Guangzhou, the capital of Canton, have rapidly expanded economically and socially. From revolutionary upheavals to becoming industrialized global cities influenced and informed by diverse forms of representation, Chinese artists have exerted a growing influence on culture globally. Perhaps nowhere more than here on the Pacific rim of California have Chinese-Americans, who primarily immigrated from Southern China, played such a crucial role in the state’s inception, particularly in San Francisco. Not only does this city have the largest import of Chinese people of any US city, these immigrants also created the largest Chinatown in North America. However, understanding the conceptual framework of Cantocore is not limited to geographic divisions, nor reductive dichotomies driven by post-colonial stereotypes such as East versus West or Olympic nationalisms. Cantocore is the reality of life versus the theory set forth by jurisdictions where people live.’
The content of Cantocore website is not for the light of heart. It requires patience and the ability to navigate complexity. This is not complexity from an information design perspective. Rather, the content is dense and challenging to traditional notions of conceptual art. However, the website itself is also an artwork. It is powered by wordpress, gives you the option to login to the site, contains its own wiki, and is filled with entries about the many happenings and conceptual installations presented by the artists involved in the project. It is in an invitation to others to participate.
If you think that conceptual art is dead or that the Creative Commons movement has not fully realized itself, Cantocore.com might just change your mind. The types of interactions that develop between artists and are explained on this site are sure to fascinate you for days on end. It might even take a few days to understand what the site is all about and how to navigate it. Don’t let it scare you, good art is often complex and hard to navigate, this is net art at its finest.
Though so much art today is the product of globalization, the Cantocore phenomenon is at the bleeding edge of art ABOUT globalization. If you are an artist interested in the Creative Commons movement or if you are an artist unconsciously participating in international net based collaborations, this website will probably school you on how cool interactive art can be and is sure to open the floodgates for new and more innovative ways of approaching Creative Commons licenses.
