#islaa

Música experimental en arte de sistemas II en el Museo de Arte Moderno. John Cage, CAyC Centro de Arte y Comunicación, Buenos Aires, 1972 [de Appel, Amsterdam. The CAyC Files, International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX + Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA), New York, NY]

From the archive of ISLAA Explore: "Temporality and Technics in Tiempo de descuento" by Mara Polgovsky Ezcurra, who was an ISLAA Writer-in-Residence.

In this article, published last year, Polgovsky Ezcurra offers a close reading of Margarita Paksa’s 1978 video and poem "Tiempo de descuento–cuenta regresiva–la hora cero," exploring how the artist used video technology to question linear time, historical progress, and the relationship between the human body and the machine. The essay also reconsiders Paksa’s place within CAYC’s audiovisual production and highlights the contributions of women artists to the institution’s history.

Click below to read the full essay:

❝Ḥusn aḏh-Ḏhan billāh (thinking well of Allāh): 

For you to not despair of attaining your share of His Raḥmah, even if all that is left of Ramaḍān is an amount of time equivalent to single unit of prayer.❞

-— Sheikh ʿAbdullāh Balqāsim.

As this blessed month sets, some may be remorseful over time wasted; remorseful that no good habit was formed, remorseful that no bad habit was left behind, remorseful that the heart is still tough and unchanged…

Here's a crazy idea:

Even if it's mere minutes, it is still time. One sincere intention coupled with one sincere action or word and all your shortcomings can be rectified, all your worries can dissipate, all your problems can be resolved, all your hopes can be realised. Allāh is over all things able, let this thought manifest in your heart. He subḥānah can even overlook and forgive your entire Ramaḍān spent in the same old routine of bad habits by one sincere plea in this moment. He can fulfil your most precious of dreams, by one sincere plea in this moment. He can lift your worries, push away hardship, bring ease, relief and happiness, by one sincere plea in this moment.

Perhaps some may have spent this entire month fasting, reciting Qurʾān and standing their nights in ṣalāh—we ask Allāh to accept from them, but there might be others who've not done even a fraction of what the first group has done, but these people–for Allāh–swallowed their pride, picked up the phone and made amends with those near and far, they cleaned out their heart, leaving not a trace of any grudge behind. Then they sought Allāh's forgiveness. And for that Allāh cleaned out their records, leaving not a trace of any misdeed behind.

Go on, finish strong. ✨

Originally posted here. Please see the comments section for additional benefit.