Neo-Beat Generation "On the Road"
Neo-Beat Generation aims at reviving the tentative soul of Beat Generation emerged in 1960’s and making it visible. The group met last Saturday in Taksim, İstanbul.
Neo-Beat intends to form an İstanbul-centered tentative environment of literature-music-cinema with the participants of Taksim Meeting which was organized on on 16 August.
The group talked to bianet. They realized their first general meeting on 7 August 2014 in Kadıköy, Taksim. This meeting is at the same time the beginning of “On the Road Project”. In addition, the second meeting organized on 16 August in Taksim, İstanbul, in the region where Beat intensively experienced and also “Holy İstanbul” mentioned by Allen Ginsberg in footnotes of Howl, is very important for the group.
“İstanbul has always been one of the cities where Beat strongly shines. It’s not surprising that Ginsberg honored this city in Howl. For us, İstanbul seems closer to Beat in contrast to Paris, Madrid, or Rome in Europe. It even comes after New York City” they said.
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“Holy the solitudes of skyscrapers and pavements! Holy the cafeterias filled with the millions! Holy the mysterious rivers of tears under the streets!
Holy the lone juggernaut! Holy the vast lamb of the middle class! Holy the crazy shepherds of rebellion! Who digs Los Angeles IS Los Angeles!
Holy New York Holy San Francisco Holy Peoria & Seattle Holy Paris Holy Tangiers Holy Moscow Holy Istanbul!”
Allen Ginsberg, Howl |
Neo-Beat
The word ‘Neo-Beat” was pronounced on March 2013 for the first time in the basement of a bar in Kızılay, Ankara. The group asserted that it is not possible to directly use the word ‘Beat Generation’ and they don’t attribute a special meaning to ‘Neo-Beat’. For them, the word is similar to “Dada” which is explored by Dadaists, so it brings its own being.
Goal of becoming anonymous
The ultimate goal of the group is making every thing anonymous including themselves, so that they can leave every thing behind. Besides, Neo-Beat doesn’t skip to say “Concepts, goals, and traditions split us, but roads unite.”
A form of inconstant group
Neo-Beat dates back 2011. The group is formed due to gathering of students from Hacettepe University, Gazi University, Ankara University, and Middle East Technical University (METU).
Neo-Beat working on fanzines and short films don’t accept specific rules, bodies, and hierarchical structure, I.e. any structure which imposes limitations. They also assert that there is not a community formed with a classical way of thought.
Redefinition of “Beat Experience”
Neo-Beat is not a form of a static group and conceptually doesn’t have a static meaning. The group says that everyone contributing to production process will form the meaning. They also emphasized that they will support all creations of sub-cultures; fanzines, cinema-photography workshops, reading groups and every participants during this production for certain and the group will be always open to participation and intervention.
“What we hope is the unity of remains reflecting the enthusiasm for eternal life after many years when people go away from the process and redefinition of ‘Beat Experience” by millions of people, cities, and stories” they say.
Beat brings its being at festivals
Neo-Beat, putting Zen philosophy, sexual revolution, psychedelic music, and hitchhiking on its center, believes that it brings its being mostly at festivals and in communal life emerging there. The group will participate in Zeytinli Rock Fest between 29-31 August for the first time.
Materials related to the fest will be published via @zeytinlifest account and #zeytinlifest hashtag. (MF/EA/MUY/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.