So what exactly is an 'Autonomous Zone'?

dublin | anti-capitalism | opinion/analysis

Wednesday July 16, 2003 11:55

by King Mob

Some theory about autonomous zones - seeing as how Dublin experienced its first one in recent times.

Recently there's been an upsurge in interest in the concept of an 'Autonomous Zone', and the Disco Disco collective openly hung banners from the windows of 41 Parnell Square West proclaiming it to be such.

The term has come into recent use from an essay by American anarchist philosopher Hakim Bey, entitled "The Temporary Autonomous Zone" (TAZ), published by Autonomedia in 1991.

What is the TAZ? It is a tactic of insurrection against the state that is temporary and clandestine. Perhaps this is where the Disco Disco people failed in their attempt to establish an autonomous zone - they did not understand the concept of it and the tactics behind it.

From the TAZ:

Absolutely nothing but a futile martyrdom could possibly result now from a head- on collision with the terminal State, the megacorporate information State, the empire of Spectacle and Simulation. Its guns are all pointed at us, while our meager weaponry finds nothing to aim at but a hysteresis, a rigid vacuity, a Spook capable of smothering every spark in an ectoplasm of information, a society of capitulation ruled by the image of the Cop and the absorbant eye of the TV screen.

...The TAZ is like an uprising which does not engage directly with the State, a guerilla operation which liberates an area (of land, of time, of imagination) and then dissolves itself to re-form elsewhere/elsewhen, before the State can crush it. Because the State is concerned primarily with Simulation rather than substance, the TAZ can "occupy" these areas clandestinely and carry on its festal purposes for quite a while in relative peace. Perhaps certain small TAZs have lasted whole lifetimes because they went unnoticed, like hillbilly enclaves--because they never intersected with the Spectacle, never appeared outside that real life which is invisible to the agents of Simulation.

...As soon as the TAZ is named (represented, mediated), it must vanish, it will vanish, leaving behind it an empty husk, only to spring up again somewhere else, once again invisible because undefinable in terms of the Spectacle. The TAZ is thus a perfect tactic for an era in which the State is omnipresent and all-powerful and yet simultaneously riddled with cracks and vacancies.

...FOUCAULT, BAUDRILLARD, ET AL. have discussed various modes of "disappearance" at great length. Here I wish to suggest that the TAZ is in some sense a tactic of disappearance. When the Theorists speak of the disappearance of the Social they mean in part the impossibility of the "Social Revolution," and in part the impossibility of "the State"-- the abyss of power, the end of the discourse of power.

The anarchist question in this case should then be: Why bother to confront a "power" which has lost all meaning and become sheer Simulation? Such confrontations will only result in dangerous and ugly spasms of violence by the emptyheaded shit-for-brains who've inherited the keys to all the armories and prisons.

...disappearance is not necessarily a "catastrophe"-- except in the mathematical sense of "a sudden topological change." All the positive gestures sketched here seem to involve various degrees of invisibility rather than traditional revolutionary confrontation. The "New Left" never really believed in its own existence till it saw itself on the Evening News. The New Autonomy, by contrast, will either infiltrate the media and subvert "it" from within--or else never be "seen" at all. The TAZ exists not only beyond Control but also beyond definition, beyond gazing and naming as acts of enslaving, beyond the understanding of the State, beyond the State's ability to see.

--

If future experiments with autonomous zones in the city are to go ahead, then the tactic of disappearance must be investigated.

For more reading:

The TAZ in full (with Ontological Anarchy): http://www.t0.or.at/hakimbey/taz/taz.htm

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Comments (23 of 23)

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Not all autonomy is temporary

by Ray

Wed Jul 16, 2003 12:02

Perhaps the reason why the Disco Disco people didn't call their autonomous zone a TAZ is that it wasn't meant to be a TAZ.
Bey appears to be happy creating autonomous zones in his own living room ("Look, I just TAZed! There, I did it again! Did you miss it?")
Squatting a bulding necessarily involves some sort of confrontation with the state. It also raises the possibility of actually achieving something, unlike TAZ's that disappear when you look at them.

Bad Language

by Mani Festo

Wed Jul 16, 2003 12:34

Accepting the work it no doubt took to inscribe and
then hang the banner I had thought it was a bit
unfortunate that the building was promoting Autonomy. Across the road in the hospital they could be forgiven for thinking "Autopsy?"
Given the miniscule level of distribution the Hakim Bey booklet has received, and the extremely high percentage of literacy problems amongst residents of Dublin 1, it sounds to me somewhat ill-chosen.

I can never understand the need to swathe acions or opinions
in archaic political or retro language just to convey simple ideas such as 'This is a Free Building', or whatever the statement may be.

Is this language created/used to break down barriers or put them up?

this is not, however, a criticism of the professional and well thought out action in Parnell Square.

TAZ not applicable in this case.

by suburban rhizome/path in residence

Wed Jul 16, 2003 12:53

Disco Disco was not an attempt at a TAZ, it was more about establishing a permanent community space.

King Mob has made a mistake about the tactics behind DiscoDisco and relating them to the TAZ (which is still a very important concept IMO).

More of it

by Cleaver

Wed Jul 16, 2003 13:02

Not that I'm too taken with labels etc, but I do hope that just because the space has been taken back in Parnell Sq that the ideas behind it have not disappeared.
Hope the next squat lasts a bit longer!
Well done to all the collective and their supporters their actions have opened up a whole new debate and will inspire more similar actions

Often thought that starting a eco -friendly-shanty- town on waste ground right in city centre

by EX HAC

Wed Jul 16, 2003 14:27

would be a good buzz and a productive way of initiating debate about the problem with affordable housing in Ireland.

Are there any Shanty's in Dublin/Elsewhere Already?

It perhaps will be more instructive to ask again

by iosaf - moving to post TAZ autonomous theory.

Wed Jul 16, 2003 14:59

where were the TAZ of Dublin before?
now none of us are going to go on evolving if we stay stuck with the TAZ criteria especially since everyone including the original TAZ activists have moved on a bit.

In Barcelona over the last year several attempts were made to open a "proto-post-TAZ" under the agreed manifesto aims of "Espai alliberat contra la guerra". An attempt was made to move TAZ from mere living interaction space to reclaimed public space thus psychic space for an extra-public space effect. There are more classically defined "TAZ" in Barcelona than any other European city. So it was no surprise when earlier this year the original TAZ activists came to town to take part in the OVNI [ufo](object visual non identificat) festival under the auspices of the autonomedia group based in NYC.

I'm not going to scribble in a comment box what I think about "proto-post-TAZ" as I would prefer serious engagement. Thus any suggestions for a yahoo group or otherwise where we may discuss these issues?

but before think on this;
TAZ and autonomy occur when the building is opened.
and when the building is closed.
The activity between is normally much more mundane.

I would suggest that any space in Dublin that was open to the public and not rented/leased for private/public profit, that pro-actively encouraged "new lines of escape and expression" in exterio of the state apparatus was a TAZ like space.
As such I _do_ have problems with GoD. The living Artists Trust (accidental Gallery) [mary st. church mary street] was occupied with permission of the owner but without profit or indeed insurance issues. The key holders were a co-operative entity acting under guarantee of Dublin personality's including Lady Valerie Goulding (CRC) and Ballagh the painter. I though a key holder of that space which was maintained from within using recycled material [the term "autogestionat"], where as I don't remember GoD being "physically" constructed from recycled urban material. & that is the issue. In the 21st century it is not enough to claim a builiding or land with books, intellect and pretty faces, "post-proto-TAZ" must also demonstrate ways in which autonomous action becomes relevant to the limitations of urban society.

Discussion of these issues almost always includes "big words" and lengthy "definition of terms", which is why I suggest a newsgroup discussion. Jayzuz if the land-occupying class of Dublin the day after Derrida's birthday are off on Baudrillard, then the fetishizing of text objects is nearing climax.....

Do not underestimate the power of play!

if anyone reads español

by little aside

Wed Jul 16, 2003 15:04

there is a statement on the impending eviction of Occupied Social Space Les Naus.
CSO Les Naus (the vessels/boats/spacecraft/factories) have been occupied for over 8 years. Adminstered by an open, non heirarchial assembly they built a theatre, dance space, studio, café, internet space and book space from recycled urban material.
Les Naus is a typical and classically defined TAZ.

If any of ye know Les Naus I'd appreciate it if you contacted me to join the campaign to protect the space.

last word from me in this comment box.

by o as if

Wed Jul 16, 2003 15:24

Possibly 3 other spaces to reflect on for those in Ireland "now" and in Ireland "then" would be:
(in no particular order)

Temple Bar projects arts centre at beginning.
1970s
atlantis communinty inish mór.
i think you'll find they left.
1970s
Beaver Row community and printing press.
1980s

Ireland abounded with TAZ just because you didn't know doesn't mean they didn't find point of interaction with either the public or global underground community.

Defining TAZ is somewhat like defining an irish anarchist, as we are since IMC ireland beginning to realise SF don't monopolise republicanism and WSM don't monopolise anarchism.
Never did and never will.

So if you are reading this somewhere in Ireland today (maybe county Leitrrrum ;-) or county Donegal or even Dublin's less fashionable suburbs and you are engaging in open activity (you don't have to advertise it) and tracing new lines of escape from contemporary problems with co-operative non-heirarchial decision making and are busy recycling building and computer resources from the waste of capitalist society you may have a TAZ.......
;-).......tell the others will you.

Yeah but Path me boy

It's worth pointing out you guys never actually talked about how the Disco was going to operate.

What exactly it would be used for, how decisions would be made, workload, and responsibilitly.

Seeing as people only had generalisations to go on, I (or one of me, I lose track these days) published something about a similar experiment. Telling us that that it is in fact wrong doesn't help since the Disco Disco group weren't exactly forthcoming.

Vague sentiments about how the space is to be used should be followed through with a concrete agreed upon structure for decision making.

I for one am fucking sick of having meetings about how decision making processes will be made and fecking hand signals.

the atlantis community

by never get a last word from me

Wed Jul 16, 2003 15:31

defined themselves as a "post Reichian primal scream self-maintaining autonomous collective".
I personally wouldn't agree, and consider their activity after Ireland especially that in Venezueala to have shown them to be another type of personality based collective. And indeed if Merlin hadn't been killed I reckon they would eventually have turned into a hereditary priniciple collective. No offence meant. Merlin's murder was despicable, (RIP) but I mean only to point out that what begins as "TAZ" or "TAZ-like" doesn't always stay that way. (the transitory element of temporary).

where shall we see a newsgroup?

king me mate!

by -

Wed Jul 16, 2003 15:35

assemblies ought set up comitees within to handle all tasks.
-finding space (researching that space)
- opening that space
- using that space
- telling others about that space to use it
- teliing others about that space to protect it
-protecting the space
- linking the space to others.
it really is a lot of work.

Too much fuss goes into the 2 minutes it takes to either gain or lose a building.

but wait ,there's more

by ollie - katalyzer

Wed Jul 16, 2003 15:57

inisglas 1977 -2000 Wexford

Camphills of the south east for decades and still going (!)

Quite a few organic farms in the 80's here in Ireland took large numbers of wwoofers; kilkenny ,cork, clare etc and 49 still do...and that's in a semi-organised way....others take them by word of mouth...

wwoofers are in that place between ework and play, holiday and learning, money and the stuff you need to exist, no money and better food/quality of life than most ppl in most places.......I'm not going to go in too deep here and now on it, but suffice it to say that I do it, and will keep doin it cos its a great way to see the world and be part of the world and eat great food with sound heads...but, like everything, you have to navagate with care and precision, cos there's a fine line between being part of sth and ripped off.....

and of course wwoofing is life in a paz, if ever there was life in a paz...

see http://www.wwoof.org

and spend the next month, year or lifetime in either a taz or a paz, if you like......

http://www.escanda.org is a new one in oasif's neck ot the woodz....while the wwoof homepage is literally full of them......

woof woof

by woof woof - woof woof woof

Wed Jul 16, 2003 17:10

woof woof soft fruit dirty hands mobile libraries woof woof links to your global pals woof woof woof potatos woofwoof metal doors woof woof tin foil hats woof woof but please no screaming.
;-)

woofy woof o' woof.

by iosaf "dotting 'i's"

Wed Jul 16, 2003 21:59

link to statement by Mary Kelly to the Oireachtas in 2000.

Additional Information on Atlantis Deaths in Colombia
There follows the text of an address to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs from Mary Kelly on behalf of the Irish Branch of the Atlantis Community, dated 12th September 2000:

so you can like feel a part of it.

Columbia.

by iosaf twisting thread - donegal spinning wheels

Wed Jul 16, 2003 22:01

what do you know?

Whatever It Is

by Red 1913

Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:20

You shouldnt allow your groups to be used by the Labour Party to get publicity.

Red 1913

by Spitfire Mk III

Thu Jul 17, 2003 12:12

Can you show me the publicity that Labour (or any other party) has gotten from DISCO DISCO? Upon what evidence have you concluded that this is a PR stunt by the Labour party?, or that they have any involvement whatsoever in the ACS (Autonomous Community Spaces) collective?

Glad To Oblige

by Red 1913 - SY

Thu Jul 17, 2003 12:16

At this link:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=60399&results_offset=40

you will se the LP making hay out of the event. Cian, your oress officer, is a well known Labour Party hack.

Labour criticises government

Thu Jul 17, 2003 13:07

Labour's Joan Burton makes comment on the government's Quarterly Housing Bulletin. That's hardly suprising. She makes no mention of ACS / DISCO DISCO. That _would_ have been 'making hay' as you allege.

Someone called 'writer' posts said comment on Indymedia and also makes reference to events relating to DISCO DISCO. So what, they don't even infer there is any connection between the two.

As for Cian being a member of the Labour party. Does that mean that everything he says and does is official Labour policy, or his actions are on their behalf. Do you see any mention of Labour on any ACS press release?

Next time Cian buys me a pint I must remember to send a letter of thanks to Mr. Pat Rabbitte.

P.S. I'm not a member of Labour or any other party for that matter

i merely

by writer - not 1913. more j18

Thu Jul 17, 2003 15:20

wished to widen the online article basis for the issue of the day and in so doing perhaps provoke a bit of socialism unity debate.
and i did.

writer - not Red 1913

Thu Jul 17, 2003 15:33

I don't have a problem with your article, merely the absurd conclusions drawn by Red 1913 upon reading it. Can't blame you for the delusions of others ;-)

oh that's good news

by writer May 1

Thu Jul 17, 2003 16:54

i don't get the blame for other people's delusions, oh that really helps me out, I'll cut back on the internet time then shall I?
:-)

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So what exactly is an 'Autonomous Zone'?

Comments (23 of 23)