The EEGsynth (almost) in Iran

In May 2022 Per Huttner was invited by French-Iranian artist Ghazel to present his work. He made a one hour online presentation about his artistic practice and his work with the EEGsynth for the Tehran summit. He draws from a text by Vaclav Havel called that he wrote in 1978. He explains that power structures that are not monitored by exterior forces (like a critical press or opposing political powers) quickly become too comfortable in their way of thinking and acting. Ideology becomes becomes what he calls a “ritual.” But more than anything, the powers that be lose contact with reality, the real lives of its people. This is not only happening in our world today; it has been happening in the arts for a long time. The members of the tribe (whether it be political leadership, the arts or a media turned into propaganda machine) is only interested in being recognised by its peers, the ritual which unlike real “ritual,” functions without any connection back to the real world. In the arts, politics and the media, we have to abandon “ritual” and return to dealing with the real issues in our lives. The performative lecture is now available online: