The Batik Art Hoax

By Abraham C. Millán

It is more usual upon publishing a personal web site (free or commercial), in order to obtain some benefit like recognition, job, money, etc. A graphic designer is not obligated necessarily to know programming, but it would be a great idea to have some descent portfolio, the one which can be "virtual" in the internet. This would be our best presentation ace, so in this way we whould not to transport physical material when we are going to sell design ideas. We suppose that someone that it accesses to our personal site, makes us an invitation to expose our work in another country with a text but or less thus (by e-mail):

From: "Group Batik Art" <grupobatikart@grupobatikart.com>
To: <some@direction.x>
Subject: GROUP BATIK ART: CHRISTMAS GALLERY 2001
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 12:23:30 0100

GROUP BATIK ART BARCELONA - SAN FRANCISCO - MIAMI
The Artistic Department of GROUP BATIK ART has visited your web page and, in agreement in what in we have seen, and to the interest awoken by your work, invites to you to participate in their cycle of Christmas expositions, that take place in their gallery of Barcelona, that counts on 600 m2 of exposition space. Attached we send to you our curriculum, photographs of "Salon Barna" and the participation conditions. Please get in touch with us, to the greater briefness, route e-mail in <grupobatikart@grupobatikart.com>.
C/San Eusebio, 57. 08006 Barcelona (Spain). <grupobatikart@grupobatikart.com>

Then we can not let of thrilling us and to think that soon it will emerge something better… "I made it carnal!" we said for our insides. Subsequent to this, more messages are accomplished to make a series of negotiations (all by e-mail) in order to that the designer or artist pays the costs by the space, stand and printed material in addition to let a 10% of their earnings to the promoting group. Of course we can believe that once we arrive over there (they send us a number that is converted into the "entry pass") we will see the things as they are with our own eyes.

Then other person send us a diferent message by e-mail in the which he/she warn us that this supposed promoting group is a complete defraudation. We do not pay anything of money neither we send anything of our work, the disappointment is not greater, but many artists have been seen cheated by these persons without scruples. It is truth that we can not rely on nobody (nor on those people we cannot see), but also it is truth that there is people that can cheat even to the most smart people. "Sooner or later we will leave afloat, but not by leaving before we grasp a shark." For a better reference please visit: http://membres.lycos.fr/grupobatikart/.