... with Miguel Benavent de B (3) FREEDOM OF SPEECH
[ en español AQUÍ ]
🐦⬛ In the first installment of our meeting with Miguel Benavent, we shared our conversation about the right to privacy. In the second, we dealt with intellectual property, and today we finally tackle freedom of speech..
FREEDOM OF SPEECH in the digital world
where censorship and self-censorship reign supreme.
🐦⬛ How can independent artists express themselves freely when technological media exercise surveillance and censorship at the stroke of an algorithm?
🤔 For me, the algorithm itself is not the enemy to be defeated, but rather those behind it who manipulate it to suit their own ends! I like to mention the gradual imposition of an “institutional culture” that sets the rules and only allows a select few to participate. I believe that (true) culture is a manifestation of freedom in a world that is becoming less and less free. It is the last bastion of personal freedom, independence, and freedom of expression. After all, (true) culture (and not “the culture industry,” as “the other thing” is called) is—or should be—“a counterpower” and must be defended with our lives in a world that is increasingly hostile, institutionalized, mediocre, and “flat,” at the mercy of social and economic manipulation by a few! Art is, by definition, protest, rebellion, and nonconformity; otherwise, it is not art! And, going a step further, art is an expression of the human soul and, therefore, free, unique, and unbridled...
However, when used correctly, the algorithm allows the audience to dictate the rules and preferences. Based on these, it helps identify similar patterns of behavior and artistic tastes (musical, pictorial, literary, etc.), which then allows the audience to grow and, therefore, evaluate the perception of that artistic work over time and/or according to its geographical, social, etc. environment.
🐦⬛ What role can artists play today in defending this fundamental right, as others have done in the past?
🤔 Well, art has always been a “lesser evil” in a standardized and submissive society. Thanks to this, it survives! Art, as I mentioned before, is rebellious by definition and must express the individuality of its creator. I don't believe much in schools, generations, or styles, although it is true that each era creates a common denominator that is the result of the social, economic, political, and cultural environment of each place and time. I don't believe much in mass culture, in the “mainstream” (even if the economic interests behind it pursue it). I believe more in that subtle, unique, and discreet art that is expressed in everyday life, often today on the street itself and outside museums or concert halls, such as street musicians or graffiti artists. Today, the channels for reaching audiences have grown exponentially and this, together with technology, allows artists and their followers to be “tailor-made” through countless “new channels”!
🤔 I agree, and from my experience as an author, I can confirm that with Artificial Intelligence, you suddenly feel overwhelmed by the breadth of resources available. However, I find that the results obtained are not always what you want. Even more so than with the same wonderful resources, different human beings create completely different things. Ramón y Cajal said that "There is no lack of means, there is a lack of will," and here, to answer Mirlo, I also believe that the role played by AI is still in our hands. Over time, we will see how all this waste of resources and information influences us... Hopefully it will help us express that human emotion, that Soul, which I hope we know how to protect and truly value.
🐦⬛ Here are links to three articles from this newsletter that aren't as old as they seem (check the dates!):
And now we bid you farewell, Miguel, Georgina, and myself, wishing all our subscribers and visitors to this site a happy holiday season. This news is sent from Mirlo Studio, where summer is already arriving... In September, we hope to be back with our batteries fully recharged and with important news that we hope will encourage you to continue sharing our journey at the end of an absolutely historic year, 2025, for those of us moving towards the Internet of Value.
And, of course, we couldn't leave out the farewell video, which this time is a wake-up call for everyone. We encourage you to start this important conversation and revisit George Orwell's classic: 1984 (either the novel or the film).
