the slow drying-out further fresh foot
prints appeared on the canvas which more and more outlined themselves
visibly and clearly.
The surprising change in the process of creation produced a picturesque quality which rounded up the manifest occasion of the picture to a painting as it is now exhibited here.
4. The dialectic of progress and braking
A threshold slows down the momentary speed and demands a new acceleration afterwards. In his statement to his work Ahmed Dilek puts emphasis on the pause, the moment of realization which becomes possible by disturbing the fluid course of the demonstration. Through this the work gets close to the idea of a monument which is supposed to entice the passer-by to pause. Its permanence is opposed to the demonstration as well as the parade or the triumphal march that ideally moves without stopping along public streets or places and only at certain days being an ephemeral event as a sign of happiness about a victory, as part of a celebration or a politi- cal manifestation. Its unbroken movement meets the wish for the holiday and the remembrance of the victory over the old conditions may continue like the changed conditions themselves do. Hence the braking is for a demonstration march an interruption that stops exactly the movement which is thought as potentially eternal. A paradoxical situation occurs because the remembrance of the act with which the continuation of history so far was stopped would like to be timeless itself because with the holiday time should come to a stop tenden- tiously. Here the power of the brakes rubs also
The surprising change in the process of creation produced a picturesque quality which rounded up the manifest occasion of the picture to a painting as it is now exhibited here.
4. The dialectic of progress and braking
A threshold slows down the momentary speed and demands a new acceleration afterwards. In his statement to his work Ahmed Dilek puts emphasis on the pause, the moment of realization which becomes possible by disturbing the fluid course of the demonstration. Through this the work gets close to the idea of a monument which is supposed to entice the passer-by to pause. Its permanence is opposed to the demonstration as well as the parade or the triumphal march that ideally moves without stopping along public streets or places and only at certain days being an ephemeral event as a sign of happiness about a victory, as part of a celebration or a politi- cal manifestation. Its unbroken movement meets the wish for the holiday and the remembrance of the victory over the old conditions may continue like the changed conditions themselves do. Hence the braking is for a demonstration march an interruption that stops exactly the movement which is thought as potentially eternal. A paradoxical situation occurs because the remembrance of the act with which the continuation of history so far was stopped would like to be timeless itself because with the holiday time should come to a stop tenden- tiously. Here the power of the brakes rubs also
symbolically against the wheel that
is
supposed to pause.
When pausing the demonstration the dialectic of process and braking as well as of statics and dynamics of the historical forces expose themselves. Following this relation Walter Benjamin points out that revolutions would not drive on at all history but could rather be its emergency brakes.
A quotation from the documents with that the "Geschichtsphilosophische Thesen" were prepared:
ÈMarx sagt, die Revolutionen sind die Lokomotiven der Weltgeschichte. Aber vielleicht ist dem gŠnzlich anders. Vielleicht sind die Revolutionen der Griff des in diesem Zuge reisenden Menschengeschlechts nach der Notbremse.Ç("Marx says revolutions are the engines of world history. But maybe it is quite different. Maybe the revolutions are the grasp for the emergency brake by the human race travelling in this train.")*
*Manuscript 1100 | Benjamin archive, preliminary studies for the "Geschichtspholosophische Thesesn" (Theses on the Philosphy of History) | collection of texts, vol.1, page 1232.
It is possible that he envisioned the picture of the wheel of history. Different from Marx who thought of an acceleration of the wheel Benjamin sees the revolutionary influence in braking. With that he is keeping with the idea that is connected with the modern wish to pause the fortune wheel as soon as peace is at the top of the hoop.
Johannes Lothar Schroeder
When pausing the demonstration the dialectic of process and braking as well as of statics and dynamics of the historical forces expose themselves. Following this relation Walter Benjamin points out that revolutions would not drive on at all history but could rather be its emergency brakes.
A quotation from the documents with that the "Geschichtsphilosophische Thesen" were prepared:
ÈMarx sagt, die Revolutionen sind die Lokomotiven der Weltgeschichte. Aber vielleicht ist dem gŠnzlich anders. Vielleicht sind die Revolutionen der Griff des in diesem Zuge reisenden Menschengeschlechts nach der Notbremse.Ç("Marx says revolutions are the engines of world history. But maybe it is quite different. Maybe the revolutions are the grasp for the emergency brake by the human race travelling in this train.")*
*Manuscript 1100 | Benjamin archive, preliminary studies for the "Geschichtspholosophische Thesesn" (Theses on the Philosphy of History) | collection of texts, vol.1, page 1232.
It is possible that he envisioned the picture of the wheel of history. Different from Marx who thought of an acceleration of the wheel Benjamin sees the revolutionary influence in braking. With that he is keeping with the idea that is connected with the modern wish to pause the fortune wheel as soon as peace is at the top of the hoop.
Johannes Lothar Schroeder