What is Nümod?
The Nümods are a group of artists that live in yurts and travel by bike. They have adopted the traditions of the ancient nomads, and brought them into a modern parallel of life-art performance. The nümod utilizes urban waste as means to sustenance, migrating from city to city, providing traditions of nümod entertainment.
What does a Nümod do?
Why Nümod?
Leaving the 20th century we blast forward into the 21st with ever increasing speed. Alas, the side effects of our magnificent technological achievements are starting to catch up with us. Humanities darker shadows are emerging, haunting us. We have worked hard to rid ourselves of them, pouring them down the drain, sweeping them under the carpet, and locking them away in great capsules underground. People spend most of their time attempting to forget and block them out, yet the detrimental environmental impact and the psycho-spiritual tole are increasingly difficult to deny. Humanities faith in technology as miracle cure all is dwindling. Yet, is it not for sanity that we attempt to uphold futurist ideology we continue business as usual because we must. Yet in opposition, growing numbers of peoples confronted with the the truth are incapable of denial any longer. The weight of the situation imposed is heavy indeed. Striving towards a new sustainable culture we must reject current waste culture. Yet how can we reject the culture of our upbringing, would we not be rejecting our own identity? How is it that we can form a new culture that is prepared for the critical and rapidly changing future?
Faced with such difficult questions, we have come to a few conclusions.
1. We have much to learn from tribal cultures that have lived in harmony with the earth for thousands of years. Tribal culture is disappearing quickly and we must work to preserve their ancient wisdom.
2. We cannot deny our cultural upbringing and must accept and embrace both the dark and light sides of our modern heritage. Including waste, pollution, and mental illness.
3. Art is where culture begins and it is through art that we must begin to assess our current cultural identity and explore possibilities of where to go from here.
With these conclusions in mind we have come to recognize the nomad as being in the most stable and convenient position of this modern age. Nomads still exist today along side technologically advanced civilizations because they choose to live in barren environments considered by most to be intolerable. Nomads are not dependent upon sedentary, modernized people. Yet they do not exist in complete isolation from their sedentary neighbors. There is frequent interaction and exchange between the two. Thus, nomads have the advantage of access to the benefits of modern civilization, without the contributing to its detrimental consequences. Adopting nomadic culture would be a strategic maneuver for those who seek to transition from unsustainable culture to a self sustaining culture, gradually decreasing reliance on the shaky systems of today's civilization. Thus, we form the Nümod group, not out of escapism, but embraceism. Integrating and sustaining civilizations flaws into our nümod cultural identity.
That is why we specialize in waste reclamation requiring periodic movement between urban areas. Offering hope of a new sustainable culture to those who have lost faith in contemporary ways of living. The nümods assume transitional culture. Sustaining themselves through current ubundant and accessible resources. They react to the their immediate environments
There are some that glorify the nümodic way of life, the novelty of the gypsy, never held down to sedentary troubles and responsibilities. The Nümodic way is great, but it is no airy cake walk. The tasks of a nümod is demanding and requires much skill and dedication. There are others who might consider the nümod a mere escapist, a lost wanderer a peter-pan. Someone incapable of investing in long term commitments both material and social. These are harsh critiques, which we fearlessly admit, may be partially true; we are all aware of our personal flaws and seek to change our bad habits. Then there are those who view the nümod as the despicable homeless, leaching parasites and outcasts. Gross assumptions, far from the truth. The nümod is one who strives for social well being and selflessness.
The nümod exists within rich, technologically advanced areas of the world, and thus for the time, have the ability to benefit from the flaws of capitalist production and distribution methods. The nümod uses post-consumer waste as means to reduce dependency and and create a pocket of time allowing full focus on transitioning to self sustaining culture. Yet, the nümod must be careful, for as not to loose their sanity. Rejecting the cultural habits taught from birth, can be seriously mentally disruptive. Thus a slow transition from our habits of materialism, selfishness, and escapism begins with embracing the physical results of our destructive ways: trash. Sustenance from waste provides the nümod with a constructive venue for embracing and transforming the culture of their upbringing.
Another challenge for the nümod is the strain of continuous movement. It is important that the nümod is not perceived as a lost wanderer. The nümod travels knowing where they are going and why. The nümod must not be considered homeless. Thus the consistent shelter of a yurt dwelling furnished in the same way,alows the nümod to feel at home wherever they happen to be. The nümod benefits from a culture of waste, but this does not mean waste culture is encouraged. For the time being we seek to reduce the drastic negative impacts of waste culture. For the time being we sustain from the waste, anticipating the day when waste culture is through. The nümod seeks to enlighten communities of people to alternative living styles. Thus nümod's are cultural educators. As the nümod's educate larger populations of people to the ways of waste sustenance, they must move around more frequently as waste decreases and waste use becomes an increasingly common strategy of sustenance.
Nümodism fills an important niche within modern society, which often provides a standard of living superior to wage laborers. The nümod has developed an efficient way to exploit and convert natural areas of excess into rich sources of energy, that otherwise are wasted. Nor are they limited by the confines of modern profit techniques.
Thus the nümod is societal rather than occupational. A new tribal standard dominated by friendship and relations rather than achievement value. The nümod never exists in a vacuum. We are responsive to the continuous changes within all areas of modern life. The nümod is continuously adapting and re-adapting to the current circumstances presented. Prepared for the worst, hoping for the best; the nümods will remain sustained, healthy and intact far into the future.
The Nümods are a group of artists that live in yurts and travel by bike. They have adopted the traditions of the ancient nomads, and brought them into a modern parallel of life-art performance. The nümod utilizes urban waste as means to sustenance, migrating from city to city, providing traditions of nümod entertainment.
What does a Nümod do?
The nümod employs natural forces reacting to the current urban environment, utilizing sustainable and abundant resources. The nümod does not contribute to the popular culture of consumption and destruction unnecessarily. Yet the nümod does not renounce his privileged position of easy access to a boundless knowledge, quick communication, global transportation, and access to abundant waste. The nümod takes full advantage of these privileges while they are still available. This includes reclaiming, and re purposing both post-consumer food waste and material waste. The nümod devotes his time to the study and preservation of traditional nomadic wisdom, including craft, medicine, art, spirit, and culture.
Why Nümod?
Leaving the 20th century we blast forward into the 21st with ever increasing speed. Alas, the side effects of our magnificent technological achievements are starting to catch up with us. Humanities darker shadows are emerging, haunting us. We have worked hard to rid ourselves of them, pouring them down the drain, sweeping them under the carpet, and locking them away in great capsules underground. People spend most of their time attempting to forget and block them out, yet the detrimental environmental impact and the psycho-spiritual tole are increasingly difficult to deny. Humanities faith in technology as miracle cure all is dwindling. Yet, is it not for sanity that we attempt to uphold futurist ideology we continue business as usual because we must. Yet in opposition, growing numbers of peoples confronted with the the truth are incapable of denial any longer. The weight of the situation imposed is heavy indeed. Striving towards a new sustainable culture we must reject current waste culture. Yet how can we reject the culture of our upbringing, would we not be rejecting our own identity? How is it that we can form a new culture that is prepared for the critical and rapidly changing future?
Faced with such difficult questions, we have come to a few conclusions.
1. We have much to learn from tribal cultures that have lived in harmony with the earth for thousands of years. Tribal culture is disappearing quickly and we must work to preserve their ancient wisdom.
2. We cannot deny our cultural upbringing and must accept and embrace both the dark and light sides of our modern heritage. Including waste, pollution, and mental illness.
3. Art is where culture begins and it is through art that we must begin to assess our current cultural identity and explore possibilities of where to go from here.
With these conclusions in mind we have come to recognize the nomad as being in the most stable and convenient position of this modern age. Nomads still exist today along side technologically advanced civilizations because they choose to live in barren environments considered by most to be intolerable. Nomads are not dependent upon sedentary, modernized people. Yet they do not exist in complete isolation from their sedentary neighbors. There is frequent interaction and exchange between the two. Thus, nomads have the advantage of access to the benefits of modern civilization, without the contributing to its detrimental consequences. Adopting nomadic culture would be a strategic maneuver for those who seek to transition from unsustainable culture to a self sustaining culture, gradually decreasing reliance on the shaky systems of today's civilization. Thus, we form the Nümod group, not out of escapism, but embraceism. Integrating and sustaining civilizations flaws into our nümod cultural identity.
That is why we specialize in waste reclamation requiring periodic movement between urban areas. Offering hope of a new sustainable culture to those who have lost faith in contemporary ways of living. The nümods assume transitional culture. Sustaining themselves through current ubundant and accessible resources. They react to the their immediate environments
There are some that glorify the nümodic way of life, the novelty of the gypsy, never held down to sedentary troubles and responsibilities. The Nümodic way is great, but it is no airy cake walk. The tasks of a nümod is demanding and requires much skill and dedication. There are others who might consider the nümod a mere escapist, a lost wanderer a peter-pan. Someone incapable of investing in long term commitments both material and social. These are harsh critiques, which we fearlessly admit, may be partially true; we are all aware of our personal flaws and seek to change our bad habits. Then there are those who view the nümod as the despicable homeless, leaching parasites and outcasts. Gross assumptions, far from the truth. The nümod is one who strives for social well being and selflessness.
The nümod exists within rich, technologically advanced areas of the world, and thus for the time, have the ability to benefit from the flaws of capitalist production and distribution methods. The nümod uses post-consumer waste as means to reduce dependency and and create a pocket of time allowing full focus on transitioning to self sustaining culture. Yet, the nümod must be careful, for as not to loose their sanity. Rejecting the cultural habits taught from birth, can be seriously mentally disruptive. Thus a slow transition from our habits of materialism, selfishness, and escapism begins with embracing the physical results of our destructive ways: trash. Sustenance from waste provides the nümod with a constructive venue for embracing and transforming the culture of their upbringing.
Another challenge for the nümod is the strain of continuous movement. It is important that the nümod is not perceived as a lost wanderer. The nümod travels knowing where they are going and why. The nümod must not be considered homeless. Thus the consistent shelter of a yurt dwelling furnished in the same way,alows the nümod to feel at home wherever they happen to be. The nümod benefits from a culture of waste, but this does not mean waste culture is encouraged. For the time being we seek to reduce the drastic negative impacts of waste culture. For the time being we sustain from the waste, anticipating the day when waste culture is through. The nümod seeks to enlighten communities of people to alternative living styles. Thus nümod's are cultural educators. As the nümod's educate larger populations of people to the ways of waste sustenance, they must move around more frequently as waste decreases and waste use becomes an increasingly common strategy of sustenance.
Nümodism fills an important niche within modern society, which often provides a standard of living superior to wage laborers. The nümod has developed an efficient way to exploit and convert natural areas of excess into rich sources of energy, that otherwise are wasted. Nor are they limited by the confines of modern profit techniques.
Thus the nümod is societal rather than occupational. A new tribal standard dominated by friendship and relations rather than achievement value. The nümod never exists in a vacuum. We are responsive to the continuous changes within all areas of modern life. The nümod is continuously adapting and re-adapting to the current circumstances presented. Prepared for the worst, hoping for the best; the nümods will remain sustained, healthy and intact far into the future.
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"Rest Stop For the Weary Post-Modernist" November 2010 |
Nomod Yurt
how
Who will be a Nümod?
When will the Nümods travel?
They are begging in Budapest, Hungary and traveling in a circle through austria, germany, poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and more. We are working on making plans. If you have contact with good places in central eastern europe let us know.
What are you doing in the mean time?
spread the word
donate
If we come to your city, help us out when we arrive
help organize fliers/ event times and locations
get other groups in your city involved
Food-not bombs, info shops, bands, performers
work with us to make the event even more amazing by contributing what you can.
shelter: yurt and costume, intricately crafted from... waste.
movement: bike, bike cart.
food : freegan, dumpster dive, donation
Services:
performance, dance, food, music, art, inspiration, education.
group organization
family
clan
tribe
tribal alliances
enemies
Travel Routine
wake up tole
group breakfast
pack up camp
departure ritual
lunch break/ check in ritual
departure ritual
passing through town shout song
Reach destination
Group check-in ritual
Set Up camp
Spread news of arrival/welcome locals
Collective Dinner/ ritual
performance
Festivities
group dance
night time music
Group closing ritual
Silence/sleep time announcement
Initiation Ritual
Orientation to structure/system
acceptance of general expectations
choosing of a task/group to help with
agreement with general/temporary life philosophy/living habits
Vow against enemies
Private Tattoo Ritual/ confirmation
Re-entry/Embrace
Nümod Tribe acknowledgement at night time closing ritual
Who will be a Nümod?
Positions/Roles
ancestors (external tribe): experienced/ unaffiliated mediators/advice
family
Shaman: initiations, leads group rituals, gives tattoos,
Ring master: circus/parade/cabaret organizer
Document-er: Takes Photos, organizes a documentary
Bike guide: In charge of movement, repairs
Peace Keeper: mediator, camp maintenance, motherly
Musical conductor : In charge of music for shows and rituals
Clan
Circus
clowns, stilts, jugglers, acrobats, puppeteers, sideshow
Performance
Actors, dancers, music pit, props
Musicians
acoustic, singers, nümod cheerleaders
Artists
Costume makers, quilt weavers, patch makers, inventors
Documentors
Film crew, photographers, bloggers, journalists, novelists
Handy peoples
bike specialist, repairs, medic, fire keeper, police management, info shop dude, interpreters, facilitators, weather readers, sexual therapists, news spreaders, public relations, consensus/group communication experts, activists.
Movement
Early sight arrival/scouts
Yurt cart movers
Camp take down check/caboose/straggler helper
Food
food-not bombs coordinator/crew
Tribe
Philosophy
Expectations
minor duties
Tribal Alliances
Food not bombs
Squats
Galleries
Queer spots
Peace centers
Collectives
Bike co-ops
Venues
Info Shops/freeshops
Festivals
Enemies
Racists, Sexists, Environmental Rapists, Abusers,Violence promoters, Bike murdering vehicles, self serving peoples, Addicts, Mental Illness, excess, exploitation, colonisation, oppressors, materialism,
Summer 2012
Where are they Going?They are begging in Budapest, Hungary and traveling in a circle through austria, germany, poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and more. We are working on making plans. If you have contact with good places in central eastern europe let us know.
What are you doing in the mean time?
website
fundraisers/ yurt parties
rout planning
solo migration travel/networking
yurt/costume construction
performance/ritual creation and practice
moch trials
group formation
family
clan
tribe
constant communication
How do I get involved?Inform us
try to attend the pre-departure orientation meetings and one week practice camp before departure.
Follow the initiation
What challenges do you anticipate on the road?Integrating new members
altering plans
group/committee meetings
Deciding the future
How can I help even if I do not join the nümod migration?spread the word
donate
If we come to your city, help us out when we arrive
help organize fliers/ event times and locations
get other groups in your city involved
Food-not bombs, info shops, bands, performers
work with us to make the event even more amazing by contributing what you can.
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