Critical Ensemble.

The essence of avant-garde within any context of its multiple meanings will be that of an experimental attitude; an effort to push the boundaries that have been predetermined by years’ accumulation of cultural norms and regulations. It is within our nature to eventually try to break free of what we find to be restrictions within societal processes.

In the end, individually or communally, we reach a point of passionate longing; an impulsive attempt to reach the unreachable and taste novelty, to rebel against any form of constraint. Yet, in this article we find how the participants of such movement carefully crafted their thoughts, planned their actions, and perfumed, in such a cautious manner so that it wouldn’t be associated to any previous historical or artistic signage. Nonetheless, I feel that in the attempt to avoid this, the end result is still quiet similar to the roots of this term. Often, we try too hard to be “off the hook”, to possess and maintain an original place, unrelatable to any preexisting visions, and still the end result may be found to recount preceding ideas, revolutions, insights.

The status-quo becomes a contradiction of itself, avant-gardism preventing to maintain current and existing state of affairs, impeding a sense of stability. A pushing of boundaries sets a new constant rhythm for society, and the initial surprise that avant-garde was set out to accomplish becomes somewhat predictable.

Sometimes the ramifications of efforts in this movement appear small at firsthand: small numbers lead to small outcomes. Yet, with matters such as this, the greater product results from consistency and continuity.  Examples such as the N5M dealing with tactical television proves how even though the number of followers and participants was relatively small, the impact in the long run that this event had was marked more strongly by its outcome in the future.

While defining this organization, ‘tactical media’ came to be referred to as “a critical usage and theorization of media practices that would draw on all forms of old and new, both lucid and sophisticated media, for achieving a variety of specific noncommercial goals and pushing all kinds of potentially subversive political issues”. This issue was rooted deep within the cultural realm and hence aspects of avant-garde brewed its significance and brought up, in a peaceful confrontational manner, all the different façades that media subconsciously implements upon a society.

In the process, while taking upon such a revolutionary challenge, there occurs a redefining transformation, and a division of prophecies:  the theorization of the end result, and the actual historization. The difference between these results occurs, perceptively, because of unpredictable matters, as well as the alteration that time provides.

To conclude, the aspects of Critical Ensemble’s epitome explores the definitions that create boundaries, deems its impact as open to co-optation, and sets tactical media as being ephemeral, all within the cultural realm of society today.