World-Information.Org Mission in Serbia

World-Information.Org mission in Serbia is quite specific regarding its historical experience of control and conflict in the sphere of information and commmunication, poor technical infrastructure, as well as insufficient interest of the public for use of ICT potentials in actual processes of social transformations and cultural shifts. Exhibition World-Information.Org is a pioneering enterprise in Serbia, representing for the first time, in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, educative and critical manner, the ICT paradigm and its ideological, political, cultural, economical, social, military and technological implications.

World-Information.Org is being presented in Serbia at the time of growing dissatisfaction with the dynamics of change in the sphere of public information, undefined development policy in IC sector and lack of political will for just regulation of the digital public domain. For this reason, World-Information.Org is a major contribution to elevation of the level of knowledge, establishment of a platform for critical thought and setting in motion public actions aiming at development of strategies of collaborative action leading to a re-evaluation of the role of ICT in institutional polices in Serbia as well as in the apprehension of its citizens.

Also, World-Information.Org aims at demystification of the relationship between media and public opinion in a contemporary society by shifting the accent from media policy to the information policy. In this way World-Information.Org mission in Serbia pays heed to the message which Croat philosopher Boris Buden has sent to all those prone to fetishization of the role of free information flow in former autocratic regimes in Croatia and Serbia: Only a politicaly aware subject can use a neutral information to create the truth of necessary political change.

World-Information.Org is emphasizing the necessity of stimulation of creative use of digital technology in arts and culture, transformation of the system of art education and provision of neccessary conditions for the artists to have direct access to technology. Artistic projects presented at World-Information.Org exhibition demonstrate a turn from representation to information which, through digital artistic practices, becomes a raw material for creative interventions of unimagined potentials. The slogan "digital art of today is cultural heritage of the future" is not just an appealing marketeering phrase, but a historical necessity.

In spite of the objective fact that some of the issues raised by World-Information.Org seem to be thousands of miles away from the actual reality of Serbian society, we must not forget what William Gibson once said about development of the new media and technology: "The future is already here, but it is not evenly distributed yet". Entering the global infosphere is not just an issue of technical equipment and economic capacity, but also a matter of ICT development policy and cultural participation.

Realization of World-Information.Org project in Serbia is a result of a collaborative effort of governmental and non-governmental organizations from Belgrade and Novi Sad, supported by numerous participants, contributors, institutions, companies, media, sponsors and donnors who in this project recognized the dynamics of cultural change. Finally, the organizers express their gratitude to Konrad Becker and Public Netbase team whose, enthusiasm, friendship, support and understanding made possible this adventure called World-Information.Org.