Editor’s Note: Owen is a guy who makes ME listen. He has amazing stories from his travels all over the world and Nexus welcomes him to its pages. His column, tentatively titled “Owen Has Ginger Hair (But He’s Actually a Nice Guy)”, begins next week.

Peter Fend is a guy who makes you listen.
In the hours that I've spent hanging out with him at his gallery, our conversations have generally been one way. Partly because he has so much to say on subjects I know nothing about, and so I have nothing to contribute. Partly because within the circles that he mixes in, he’s a worldwide name and so commands a bit of awe, but mostly I think because he mumbles a lot and doesn't really finish talking about one subject before he launches into another.
It’s almost like chatting with my 3 year old nephew: He knows exactly what he’s talking about, while I'm not so sure.
Despite his eccentric behaviour, Peter Fend is easily the most interesting person I have met of late, and I feel lucky to have chanced upon our meeting. His art work is displayed like an extension of himself: slightly incoherent, somewhat overly technical, but given time, pervasive and enlightening. This isn't something you can get a quick fix off of. His work cannot be condensed to a tweet or a status update. You might have to spend some time. FUCK, you might have to focus on one thing at a time. That’s a tough one for me.
In his struggles to make an impact on the world, Peter Fend has come up against what I consider to be truly frightening foes. Exxon has shut down his works once. The C.I.A has pressured him. A colleague of his in Germany has been car bombed.
This isn’t gangstas, or drugged out street kids. These are intelligent, educated and drastically sober people. It’s scary.
It’s scary because there are people who are committed to maintaining our current course. And they will maybe try to kill you if you upset them too much. As a good friend of mine said when he came to look at the exhibit 'it’s hard to beat the system'
Well motherfuckin word you, and you can see that in the faces of the people who walk by the situation room. They'll look in... Slow down slightly... maybe approach the door. You make eye contact with them and say hello... they bail. It’s just too hard. It has nothing to do with what’s for dinner tonight, how much alcohol they're going to drink on the weekend, what’s happening on Shortland Street.
And it’s not all, 'Save the planet cos u shud' wank. Peter Fend espouses the need to create alternative economies. Aquacultures, biofuels. It’s still about making cash, it’s still about doing what you want to do, but relying less on fossil fuels and most importantly relying less on the hegemonic oil companies.
I feel like I live in a very lethargic and apathetic society. Oh don't get me wrong, I don't consider myself any better than anyone else, Today I woke up at midday, lurked /b/ and laughed at all the inappropriate humour, masturbated to some porn, and then had a sugary coffee which due to my dependence on the substance picks me up to about normal operating speed. Part of the anger in this is directed at myself.
It is hard to beat systems that are in place mostly I think because it’s hard to know where to start. So go along to the situation room, listen to Peter Fend for a bit, stir up a bit of disruptive thinking in yourself, argue with him, tell him he’s full of shit for all I care. Use your education for more than just getting a job in real life world of Warcaft and exercise some democracy by kicking up a fuss.