WAR ON CULTURE: 欠債還展
/ CHAPTER 1
War on Culture (WoC) is a living tapestry of thought, an ever-emerging concept that dances on the stage of life. It's weaved by a collective who have voyaged into the cavernous depths of their own minds and souls, only to surface in a world ensnared by the chains of convention, often stifling the breath of true understanding.
WoC guides us to perceive our cultural fabric with renewed vision, understanding norms as inherited patterns - a collective illusion that might subtly steer us from our unique journeys. They gently remind us that the course we navigate is often shaped more by the need to belong than by our own conscious choices.
WoC champions creative expression as a window to delve into our inner world, a medium to awaken self-reflection and voice our deepest emotions. It becomes a stage for celebrating diversity, a testament to individuality, and a subtle tool for reshaping our shared narratives.
At the heart of WoC's ethos is the principle of "Deconstruct & Reconstruct". They inspire us to dismantle the barriers that hinder our full immersion in the dance of life, rekindling our connection with our senses and desires often muted by the incessant hum of modern existence.
WoC is a call for us to embark on a journey of self-discovery and a deeper understanding of the world we inhabit. They invite you to question, to contemplate, and to chart your own course in life's vast ocean. Join us in the exploration of War on Culture as they invite us to embrace a more contemplative approach to existence, placing personal authenticity above the mirroring of societal norms.
MANIFESTO
“Culture is a perversion.
It fetishizes objects, creates consumer mania, it preaches endless forms of false happiness, endless forms of false understanding in the form of squirrelly religions and silly cults.
It invites people to diminish themselves and dehumanize themselves by behaving like machines.”
— Terence McKenna
War on Culture represents an artist collective who questions cultural norms and advocates the following philosophy in life and other art forms.
1.Culture is not your friend.
Cultural norms are group consensus at scale; the act of strong conformity without actively questioning, challenging and breaking them, will naturally result in a set of “collective illusions” implanted in the majority with generational influences
2. We follow norms, even when they are sometimes arbitrary.
The failure to follow norms may elicit negative responses and sanctions, therefore we follow norms to avoid becoming outliers or to simply “feel accepted and belonged”; to an extent that decisions sometimes do not reflect actual preferences
3. Art allows us to embrace individualism and identify “positive deviances” for social change
Lowering the dominance of norms and institutions with critical analysis allows the empowering of individuals. The evaluation of “positive deviances” allows individuals to reveal their purposes, claim their identity and lead a better life.
Art as a powerful force stimulates us to reflect subconscious and express emotions; to communicate with others through an exchange of subjective ideas. Such creative discussions prevent us from becoming conformists while embracing individuality and authenticity; to promote behavioral change interventions and create a new cultural landscape to address societal problems faced by humanity
