Spart
Encyclopedia
Spart or Spart Action is a political/cultural group/movement founded in 2001. Its roots lie in the avant-garde
tradition, although what distinguishes it from other similar practices is an understanding of the avant-garde as a genre
, rather than heritage. The significance of Spart lies in its understanding of politics
, which sets it apart from all other forms of late 20th/early 21st century art activism. Spart does not create spectacular public actions that demonstrate to people the problems of society, because Spart believes most people within society already understand its problems. Instead, Spart works directly configuring social relationships in everyday life dealing with politics as an embodied state of being
.
, although the 1st public ‘spartworks’ were not presented until 2002. Early ‘spartworks’ included public actions such as ‘Drinking Blindfolded in Oxford
(I shit you not) ’, ‘Drinking Blindfolded in Zagreb
(I shit you not) ’ and ‘Pogo Manifesto’. In November 2004, the 1st International Spart Insurgence was held in Sofia
, Bulgaria
. Participants included: Justin McKeown
(Northern Ireland), Vassya Vassileva (Bulgaria) and Friedrich Nichtmargen (Akademgorod, Siberia). The event opened with the inaugural 'Summit on the Summit' when on the morning of 4 November Spartists congregated on Cherni Vrah Peak, the mountain overlooking Sofia, to create and participate in Spartist events. The event then continued for another week with various public and private events. Other Spart events have taken place since. These include: the Suburban Games (2006), Invisible Games (2007), Arts Birthday (2007), and the Winter Games (2008).
Other participants in SPART activity have included Gerard McKeown
, James Black, Meabh McDonnell, Nathan Crothers, Roddy Hunter, Judit Bodor, Redas Dirzys, Martin Zet, Vassya Vassileva, Friedrich Nichmargen, Paul Stapleton, Caroline Pugh, Istvan Kantor, Communist Defectors Will be Shot.
As part of the Art Strike
in 2009, a Spart Strike 2009-2012 was begun.
SPART = the politicisation of leisure time
LIFE = My most profound leisure activity
Spart is normally written as SPART.
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
tradition, although what distinguishes it from other similar practices is an understanding of the avant-garde as a genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
, rather than heritage. The significance of Spart lies in its understanding of politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, which sets it apart from all other forms of late 20th/early 21st century art activism. Spart does not create spectacular public actions that demonstrate to people the problems of society, because Spart believes most people within society already understand its problems. Instead, Spart works directly configuring social relationships in everyday life dealing with politics as an embodied state of being
Being
Being , is an English word used for conceptualizing subjective and objective aspects of reality, including those fundamental to the self —related to and somewhat interchangeable with terms like "existence" and "living".In its objective usage —as in "a being," or "[a] human being" —it...
.
History
Spart is known to have been conceptualised in 2001 by Justin McKeownJustin McKeown
Justin McKeown is an artist from Northern Ireland. He exhibits work in Europe, America, Canada and Asia. He is most commonly known for his work as part of the Spart action group.- External links :**...
, although the 1st public ‘spartworks’ were not presented until 2002. Early ‘spartworks’ included public actions such as ‘Drinking Blindfolded in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
(I shit you not) ’, ‘Drinking Blindfolded in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
(I shit you not) ’ and ‘Pogo Manifesto’. In November 2004, the 1st International Spart Insurgence was held in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. Participants included: Justin McKeown
Justin McKeown
Justin McKeown is an artist from Northern Ireland. He exhibits work in Europe, America, Canada and Asia. He is most commonly known for his work as part of the Spart action group.- External links :**...
(Northern Ireland), Vassya Vassileva (Bulgaria) and Friedrich Nichtmargen (Akademgorod, Siberia). The event opened with the inaugural 'Summit on the Summit' when on the morning of 4 November Spartists congregated on Cherni Vrah Peak, the mountain overlooking Sofia, to create and participate in Spartist events. The event then continued for another week with various public and private events. Other Spart events have taken place since. These include: the Suburban Games (2006), Invisible Games (2007), Arts Birthday (2007), and the Winter Games (2008).
Other participants in SPART activity have included Gerard McKeown
Gerard McKeown
Gerard McKeown is a writer from Ballymena, Northern Ireland. A graduate of Cumbria Institute of the Arts, he is best known for his performance poetry, which draws as much from disciplines such as stand up comedy and bardic story telling as it does poetry.He has performed as a support act for other...
, James Black, Meabh McDonnell, Nathan Crothers, Roddy Hunter, Judit Bodor, Redas Dirzys, Martin Zet, Vassya Vassileva, Friedrich Nichmargen, Paul Stapleton, Caroline Pugh, Istvan Kantor, Communist Defectors Will be Shot.
As part of the Art Strike
Art strike
First known reference to art strike is in Alain Jouffroy's essay "What's To Be Done About Art?" :...
in 2009, a Spart Strike 2009-2012 was begun.
Terminology
The word Spart was coined by Justin McKeown in 2001. It was originally used to refer to a hybrid of sport and art in which the pathology of sport would be combined with the creativity of art in a bid to create a pastime which was as monsterously violent as the contemporary urban city. As Spartist ideology progressed so to has the understanding of the relationship between sport and art. This relationship is summed up in the original theory of Spart, as described in the 1st ‘Spart Manifesto’, is the Spart life dichotomy:SPART = the politicisation of leisure time
LIFE = My most profound leisure activity
Spart is normally written as SPART.