NSK State/NY :: IRWIN

A Report by the NSKNY Organising Committee

On June 24th, 2011, citizens of the NSK State and others gathered at MomentaArt in Brooklyn, New York to examine and discuss the past and future of this State in Time.

The organisers of this event presented talks on the following subjects:

Overview of the First NSK Citizens’ Congress in Berlin, 2010 (Conor McGrady).
The Birth of a State: Presentation on the Founding of the NSK State in Time (Gediminas Gasparavicius).
The State Within - Discovering the Future (Charles Lewis).

The “Overview of the First NSK Citizens’ Congress” provided a brief introduction to the conceptual framework of the NSK State in Time and the context for the congress. Highlighting some of the discussions that took place in Berlin, including the debate on the state’s relationship to the micronations movement, the NSK Rendez-Vous New York was presented as the latest in a series of transnational citizen led initiatives to have emerged in the wake of the congress.

“The Birth of a State” provided an overview of the constituent groups that formed NSK in 1984, and traced the historic founding of the NSK State in Time in 1992, the significance of the NSK Embassy Moscow project (1992) and subsequent actions including the NSK Garda project. The symbolic and practical function of the NSK passport was also discussed, in particular within the context of the recent surge in passport applications from Nigeria. This presentation was followed by a short video comprised of footage from NSK actions, excerpts from films on IRWIN and Laibach, and interviews with NSK passport holders.

“The State Within” discussed the challenge of realising the NSK State as a universal organism, capable of embracing both the past and contemporary contexts through an emphasis on key themes and techniques within its framework. The presentation highlighted the importance of NSK citizen initiative in developing these themes from local historical, conceptual, and aesthetic material.

Also participating were Mark Torrey and Kevin Noble, of New York, who managed passport control and made passport applications and reference materials available to the attendees. David K. Thompson, of Connecticut, displayed a variety of NSK-related media and artifacts. Graphic design of the promotional materials for the event was carried out by Dario Šolman.

Video monitors in the gallery featured interviews and testimonials of passport holders in Vienna, Berlin, Sarajevo, Taipei and the U.S. Two rotating projections of Folk Art generated by NSK Citizens also filled the space.

The initiative was well received, and demonstrated a latent interest in the NSK State in the New York City area. Some of the 75 participants who attended were attracted by existing interest in the band Laibach, and a desire to reconnect with this aesthetic. Others were drawn by the implications of NSK and the NSK State for artistic expression as it relates to the juncture of art and authority, collective artistic endeavour, and a critical examination of the modern nation state. Although unable to attend, the Slovenian Consul General, Dr. Melita Gabrič, did convey her encouragement.

New York City has historically been the site of other NSK events, exhibitions and actions. With the success of this initial NSK Rendez-Vous, the organisers are confident that this pattern will continue into the future.