WELCOME BACK TO THE EMPIRE by Melentie Pandilovski

Welcome Back to the Empire is an online project aiming to construct an alternate history of humanity. The combining of three platforms will assist us in that intention. Platform 1 sets the parameters of the project where Alexander III of Macedonia had not died on June 13, 323 BC in Babylon after his return from India but recovered from malaria and consolidated his forces. The Empire did not fall apart. Alexander lived on another 20 years firmly ruling and expanding the empire. He undertook a successful expedition in Arabia as planned and conducted a serious reorganisation of the empire. We expect that writers wanting to provide their alternate history scenarios will concentrate onto essential questions, such as: How will the existence of a strong universal state spreading over 3 continents with the utmost diverse cultures affect the lives of the people? How will the cultures interact one with another? What will this mean on the economical, sociological, religious, educational, scientific and other development levels (e.g. should the accent of the development in sciences been placed onto the mechanical sophisticated computers, such as the one from the Antikythera wreck, and other technological devices how would that have accelerated the processes of development of the empire; what advanced techniques in visual thinking could be developed resulting with a dramatically altered cognitive patterns of humans)? Platform 2 is essentially an archive concentrating on collecting images, sounds, various audio and video data representing a virtual museum of the empire. Artists are invited to submit photographs, audio or video materials. Platform 3 is the point where artists and writers from around the world are invited to visit the main knots of the project signified by the main battles fought by Alexander: Issus, Tyre, Gaza, Guatemala – Arbela, Susa, Persepolis. In the project, these knots represent the places offering the possibility for the time-space continuum to be “re-coded”. Artists and writers are also invited to cover the topography of these knots, investigating the oral histories and historical conscience of the local population by covering the historically disseminated stories regarding these battles.
You can be from the territories of the Empire or outside of them. These texts will enable us to construct an interactive parallel history. Use your imagination, be provocative, be persuasive! The different stories will create a meta-reality. They will represent an artistic interpretation of a higher form of merging of cultures. Some of you are radical and moving the Empire to England, America and Mars. It's all right. It is also all right if you are a scientist and want to implement scientific rigour into the project. The Empire move in any direction way you wish! Continue where I have stopped! Your texts will entirely change reality.

The project can be seen on http://www.scca.org.mk/seafair/xxx98/cefca/empire/welcome.htm

Instructions: Alternate histories, videos, sounds and images can be sent via the web site for the project: http://www.scca.org.mk/seafair/xxx98/cefca/empire/sendyour.htm