The proverbial new world order is happening. Again. Meaning is neither fixed nor lost, but rather trapped in an endless cycle of distortion and reconstruction.
Coblage as Artistic Praxis
This post is part of an ongoing reflection on coblage as an artistic method. Much like the person interested in electronics needs to pull the device apart to understand it, in order to understand the media we need to pull it apart and reassemble it in another way. This could be another piece in the Dreams of the Machine series. Are we dreaming of the machine, or is the machine dreaming of us.
The Need for a Vision Beyond Conflict
Reading about the student-led movement in Bangladesh which was referenced in yesterday’s coblage, I’m struck by a familiar theme: the clash of generations, the fight to redefine governance, the attempt to break free from the old cycles of power and control. The newly formed National Citizens Party (NCP) speaks of unity over division, transparency over corruption, and an independent foreign policy free from external influence. Their rhetoric challenges the dynastic rule that has defined Bangladesh’s political landscape for decades.
And yet, this isn’t unique to Bangladesh. It echoes broader shifts across the world. If we do not envision our future, we will never achieve it.
These student-led movements, much like the ones that emerged in Egypt, India, Pakistan, and Turkey, demonstrate a hunger for a new political order, one that prioritizes the lived experiences of people over the geopolitical chess games played by those in power. But the question remains: can these movements truly escape the gravitational pull of history? Or will they be consumed, just like so many before them, by the very forces they seek to replace?
I learned this word, rokto—রক্ত—means blood. It stains our history, fuels our conflicts, and defines our struggles. It can also stand for kinship and a sense of solidarity. The Coblage caused me to google up this link and read this article which would not have otherwise come across my consciousness:
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