User:Xact

Exact Me

The initials of my name is A.C.T. (Arnt Christian Teigen). The X first appeared as a symbol denoting a kiss, in SMS communication. I came to enjoy that a kiss contributed exactness to my identity, and at the same time questioning my identity, signaling a beyond. Philosophically speaking, identity or name, sign and symbol, is always approximate, never fully exact. I reflect upon this in association with the core existential question connected to the oriental dual concept of aþman-anaþman, conferring the similar occidental idea of ousia-parousia.

Professional Amateur

I believe my editing is influenced by my professional orientation, being an artistic practitioner, holding a master of arts degree in theater practice(a.k.a. applied semiotics). I think my particular education, and professional orientation may have made me somewhat bold in my editing. Although holding a higher degree, and currently working for a Ph.D, I still look at my non-institutionalised background as the most valuable in terms of merit. I'm primarily a practitioner, artist, with a training in the craft of acting, directing and dramaturgy; in particular master-pupil lineages of European theatre (Grotowski/Decroux lineages). My academic training on top makes me believe that I'm able to deal with what may be termed the theatre of epistemology, in which the power games of knowledge are unfolded. On the other hand I wish to be utterly humble in regard of the ethos of science, and discourse; especially as these are stated by the five pillars of Wikipedia.

I don't think amateur is the opposite of professional. Amateur is someone doing whatever s/he does for the sake of loving it, not for the sake of profit, in any way what so ever. I believe Academia has a heart, and has had it since it's foundation. I believe that the poetics (Aristotle) should not be regarded as a marginal subject of metaphysics, but it's heart. As I think of Metaphysics not as the peripherial of physics, but it's respiratory system.

I Am Biased

I was brought up in Skien, Norway. This is the town in which Henrik Ibsen was born. Growing up here did not lead to my discovery of his - in my perception - prophetic-like genius, that recognition of him only occurred in recent years. I've come to realize that I've been indoctrinated by the common view making him a rather dull skeptic with a grand beard, instead of the ideal summoner of Socratic proportions. The idealists of his plays are most often portrayed unsympathetic, not merely that even as public enemies (in spite of the fact of the play so called...). The rather conservative theaters of Norway mistreat him, the cultural elite are using him as a galleon figure, but are censoring the power-critical (i.e. political) dimension of his work. As this gradually, at times eruptively, has been unraveled for me, the character Brand has become my guiding star. He is modeled on the first dissident priest of the Norwegian State Church, in this town, igniting a movement of Christianity with which I'm profoundly affiliated. Because of this priest, this place has seen the establishment of the first Baptist church of Norway, the first Pentecostal church of the Nordic, and the first church of Missionaries originating with this priest Gustav Adolph Lammers. My grandfather was a pastor in this particular denomination, while I became a Pentecostal myself by the age of 14. I wasn't able to stay with this congregation for more than a few years. Instead I happened to become interested and involved in art, metaphysics, and the circus of life. The Ibsen-Lammers connection was not something I was aware of. It was not until recently I came to realize this, influencing me profoundly. This has caused me to move back to this region in Norway, turning my research on Christianity, once again, upside down and inside out. Poetics, Metaphysics and Physics restated in a novel ethic: Art is in my heart of knowing, spirituality the system of breathing in the body of my ideal Academy; all in all the world is a Theatre Ecclesia & poverty of phantasy.