Art, Autonomy, and Resistance


The relationship of art to politics today

Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Time: 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Location: Wollman Hall, The New School

Street: 65 W 11th street, 5th floor (please enter through 66th w. 12th st.)

Please join Platypus in a panel discussion between artists and cultural theorists at the New School. Doors open at 6:30pm, panel begins at 7:00pm.

Following the discussion, there will a Q & A session with the audience.

In an age of global capitalism, “progressive” art is generally conceived of as a political form of resistance to capitalism’s all-encompassing presence and commodification of culture. Taking the form of public stunts, political pranks, “dematerialized” experiences, and community engagements, many works seek to rupture the texture of our everyday lives and offer alternative models for politics and society. But given that, in our current moment, the Left has little to no capacity to shape our social and political direction, the merits and effectiveness of art as a form of resistance must be thrown into question. Can art really have a stake in making political change? If so, has contemporary art been at all successful in doing so? How must art’s relationship to politics be understood, and what must be rethought in light of our present? Bringing together practicing artists and critical theorists, this panel raises these questions in order to increase the potential to shape our socio-political and artistic future.

Coco Fusco (Artist, Writer and Associate Prof. at Parsons)

Andrea Geyer (Artist and Professor at Parsons)

Jim Miller (Chair of Lib. Stu. and Professor of Poli. Sci. at the NSSR)

Haseeb Ahmed (Platypus Affiliated Society)

moderated by Chris Mansour (Platypus)

Event Sponsored By:

The Platypus Affiliated Society

NSSR Philosophy Department

NSSR Liberal Studies Department

NSSR Department of Politics

NSGS Media Studies Department

Parsons Fine Arts Department

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Mansour at chris.d.mansour@gmail.com

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