Category Archives: CRITICAL STUDIES

Rancière: Problems & Transformations of Critical Art

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Rancière: Problems & Transformations of Critical Art

Friday, 10 June 2016, 6:00pm – 8:30pm
The Field, 385 Queens Road, London SE14 5HD
Rail/Overground: New Cross Gate, Queens Road Peckham
Chaired by Stephen Bennett
Free, fully booked

This event is part of Antiuniversity Now festival
9-12 June 2016
www.antiuniversity.org

Continue reading Rancière: Problems & Transformations of Critical Art

Deleuze & Guattari: Rhizome

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#16 Deleuze & Guattari: Rhizome

Friday, 10 March 2017, 18:00 – 20:30
88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH
Rail/tube: City Thameslink, Blackfriars, St. Paul’s
Chaired by Katie Tysoe and Sophia Kosmaoglou
Free, fully booked

In March we’re reading Rhizome, the introduction to A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia (1980) by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. Rhizome was first published in 1976 by Éditions de Minuit. Continue reading Deleuze & Guattari: Rhizome

Debord: Negation & Consumption in Culture

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#22 Debord: Negation & Consumption in Culture

Friday, 8 December 2017, 6:30pm-9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
Facilitated by Aristotelis Nikolaidis
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite

[SYMPOSIUM] #22 Debord: Negation and Consumption in the Cultural Sphere. Flyer by Aristotelis Nikolaidis.
[SYMPOSIUM] #22 Debord: Negation and Consumption in the Cultural Sphere. Flyer by Aristotelis Nikolaidis.

In December we’re joining Aristotelis Nikolaidis to discuss Negation and Consumption in the Cultural Sphere, the eighth chapter of Guy Debord’s 1967 book The Society of the Spectacle.

DOWNLOAD Debord, Guy (1967/1995) Negation and Consumption in the Cultural Sphere, from his The Society of the Spectacle, transl. Donald Nicholson-Smith, New York: Zone Books, pp. 129-147.

Guy Debord’s The Society of the Spectacle is a landmark text of the Situationist International, and its most influential one together with Raoul Vaneigem’s The Revolution of Everyday Life. Originally published in 1967, it has been related to the radical heritage of the May 1968 uprising in France and has been in print as well as enjoyed new translations and editions to this day. Debord revisited it in his Comments on the Society of the Spectacle in 1988.

The Situationist International offered a radical critique of advanced capitalist societies, manifesting the fusion of art and politics and the prominence of everyday life as a field of analysis and intervention. It combined elements from Marxism and anarchism, and while being separate from both it developed in a libertarian direction and in opposition to the orthodox Marxist-Leninist canon of the time. The Situationists have been criticised, among other things for vanguard cultural elitism, as well as praised, among other things for contributing to the renewal of radical social theory and practice.

In The Society of the Spectacle Debord both draws and reflects upon Marx’s original analysis of the capitalist mode of production, including key concepts such as commodity fetishism and alienation. The result of such an intellectual endeavour is the production of an original perspective: the concept of the spectacle, a social relationship between people which is mediated by images, suggests a society where genuine activity is replaced by representation and social life is colonised by commodities. In this respect, the emerging critique promptly focuses on the key role of media culture and consumerism in late capitalism; but, unlike most of the contemporary postmodernist paradigm, it maintains a radical edge rooted in class consciousness and struggle.

Chapter 8, titled Negation and Consumption in the Cultural Sphere, emerges as a potentially useful reading with regard to art practice and theory on the basis of two reasons. On the one hand, it is the part of the book where Debord is principally concerned with art’s position in the field of culture; the provided discussion addresses the autonomy of culture and its connection to history in a class-based society, as well as art’s relation to language and communication and its function as a form of dialogue and a practice.

On the other hand, the text constitutes a sophisticated polemic against conventional social theory as well as a fierce defence of the unity between theory and practice; and its argument culminates in the discussion of détournement, a concept signifying the language of anti-ideology and subversive action. Perhaps it is in this respect that Debord echoes Marx most clearly, and his infamous eleventh thesis on Feuerbach more particularly: the point is not just to interpret the world, but to change it.

Aristotelis Nikolaidis studied sociology, completed a PhD in media and communications at Goldsmiths and has been involved in free and self-organised language programmes for migrants and refugees. He is teaching and researching in the field of social theory and media studies from a critical perspective, which is to say that he is at odds with marketization, careerism and precarious labour conditions in the university.

Questions

Why does Debord argue that ‘art’s declaration of independence is the beginning of the end of art’? (Thesis 186, p. 133)

How does Debord define avant-garde art? And how may the contrasting examples of Dada and Surrealism inform our understanding of the transcendent potential of art or lack thereof?

Why is conventional sociological theory criticised for offering ‘a spectacular critique of the spectacle’? (Thesis 196, p. 138)

Why does Debord argue that critical theory is inconceivable independently of a rigorous practice? (Thesis 203, p. 143)

In what ways may the concept of the détournement empower a radical critique and practice? How may it be related to contemporary practices such as culture jamming, for example in the case of the Adbusters, or to the work of conceptual artists such as Barbara Kruger?

Suggested further reading

Clark, John (2015) The Society of the Spectacle Reconsidered: Good Marx or Bad Marx?, Fifth Estate, 393

Cooper, Sam (2017) The Situationist International in Britain: Modernism, Surrealism, and the Avant-Gardes, New York: Routledge

Debord, Guy (1988/1988) Comments on the Society of the Spectacle, London: Verso

Eagles, Julian (2017) Marxism, Anarchism and the Situationists’ Theory of Revolution, Critical Sociology, 43(1): 13-36

Gray, Christopher (1974/1998) Leaving the 20th Century: The Incomplete Work of the Situationist International, London: Rebel Press

Kellner, Douglas (2003) Media Spectacle, London: Routledge

Knabb, Ken (ed.) (2006) Situationist International Anthology, Revised and Expanded Edition, transl. Ken Knabb, Berkeley: Bureau of Public Secrets

Vaneigem, Raoul (1967/2003) The Revolution of Everyday Life, transl. Donald Nicholson-Smith, London: Rebel Press

Wark, McKenzie (2011) The Beach Beneath the Street: The Everyday Life and Glorious Times of the Situationist International, London: Verso

Judd: Specific Objects

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#17 Judd: Specific Objects

Friday, 21 April 2017, 18:00 – 20:30
88 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1DH
Rail/tube: City Thameslink, Blackfriars, St. Paul’s
Free, please book your place

In April we’re reading Specific Objects, a controversial essay by Donald Judd, originally published in 1965. This discussion will be chaired by Richard Burger. Continue reading Judd: Specific Objects

Can You Hear Me?

Can You Hear Me?

Nalini Malani [2020] Can You Hear Me. Whitechapel Gallery, London. Screenshot of hybrid visit to the exhibition
Nalini Malani [2020] Can You Hear Me. Whitechapel Gallery, London. Screenshot of hybrid visit to the exhibition

In October 2020 we visited the exhibition Can You Hear Me by Nalini Malani at the Whitechapel Gallery with members of the Art+Critique Autumn 2020 cohort. This was our first hybrid off-site visit and everyone was asked to write a critical review of the exhibition. Any number of things could have gone wrong. Continue reading Can You Hear Me?

Cohn: Representation and Critique

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#24 Cohn: Representation and Critique

Friday, 9 February 2018, 6:30pm-9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
Facilitated by
Aristotelis Nikolaidis
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite
Continue reading Cohn: Representation and Critique

📌 Artquest One to One 🍒 Art+Critique Summer 2022

📌 Artquest One to One 🍒 Art+Critique Summer 2022

As we await the arrival of summer the pandemic appears to be at bay, but only by giving way to new fronts of crisis, disinformation, struggle and resistance. Artists have been particularly impacted in the last two years and still reeling as we emerge into the new dystopian normal, so you’re not alone. Book a free advice session with Artquest One to One to discuss your practice and plans for the future – new dates in late May and early June will be posted soon.

The Summer 2022 Art+Critique online course starts on Saturday, 23 April and continues for 16 weeks until 6 August 2022. The course is popular beyond the London bubble and Covid is still creating some uncertainty, so there are no immediate plans for face-to-face courses. We have just wrapped up the Autumn/Winter 2021-22 course and it’s always sad when the regular meetings with a fantastic group of beaming faces come to an end. But we’re hatching a plan for follow-up sessions for alumni of the course. If that is you please stay tuned and I will be in touch with more info.

The Festival of Alternative Art Education is still postponed indefinitely for the time-being but I’m looking forward to restart the Co-operative art school? action-research project with an new strategy. If you have completed the co-operative art school survey please stay tuned for news and updates. If not then head over there and fill it in because I might finally have the chance to compile the report during the break. Hope you get some sun whether you’re taking time off or raging on 🐞

📌 Artquest One to One

Free one-to-one remote advice sessions for London-based artists
Book a free Artquest one-to-one advice session to get feedback about your work, build a strategy for an upcoming project, get practical career advice, discuss the logistics of operating as an artist and find out about other arts organisations and how they can support you. New dates in late May and early June coming soon.

🍒 Art + Critique

Critical & Contextual Studies in Art Practice Online, Summer 2022
This course integrates practice and theory to address our concepts of art, how they are being transformed and the problems of making and exhibiting art in the broader context of social conflict. The curriculum surveys essential histories and discourses of contemporary art, demystifies the art world and provides multiple entry points into critical theory. The lectures address the questions of what art is, how it is judged, how it relates to society and what is at stake for artists today. The programme fosters collaborative study and provides practical tools in workshops and group feedback sessions.
23 Apr – 6 Aug 2022, Saturdays 10:00-12:30 BST (GMT+1), for 16 weeks
Course fee £360 / Concessions £288
For more information and to register please visit the course page. For detailed information on the schedule, lectures and reading please download the course outline. If the course fees are a barrier to your participation please get in touch so that we can find a way to make it more accessible for you.

📢 Outpost Online & Art+Critique 🍒🚀

📢 Outpost Online & Art+Critique 🍒🚀

It’s been a long hard slog but things are starting to look up with the easing of restrictions and a potential end in sight for Covid. In the meantime, if you’re feeling stuck or want to hatch some plans sign up for a free advice session with Artquest Outpost Online.

The next Art + Critique online course begins on Thu, 14 Oct 2021 and continues over two terms until 10 Mar 2022. I will continue to offer this course online to accommodate those who wish to participate from outside London and the UK. If you’re interested in a face-to-face course in London please stay tuned for updates when this becomes a viable option.

The Festival of Alternative Art Education is still postponed indefinitely due to restrictions on large indoor events, please stay tuned for updates and new dates when the events can go ahead.

📢 Outpost Online

Free one-to-one remote advice sessions for London based artists
https://www.artquest.org.uk/project/outpost-online/

I’m very excited to be working with Artquest to provide one-to-one advice sessions to answer your questions and provide feedback on your work. This is an opportunity to get practical career advice, discuss the logistics of operating as an artist, and find out more about other services and organisations that can help you navigate the art world in these unprecedented times. When booking you can select which advisor you would like to meet based on their areas of expertise. Each session lasts 45 minutes and is conducted on either Skype or Zoom. The sessions are very popular so you are asked to book one session per year. The regular advisors are not all available every month, so if the slots are booked up or if your chosen advisor isn’t available please try again the following month.

🍒 Art + Critique

Critical & Contextual Studies in Art Practice Online Course
https://videomole.tv/artncritique

This course integrates practice and theory to address our concepts of art, how they are being transformed and the problems of making art in the broader context of social conflict. The syllabus will help you develop your practice and research in a series of lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials and off-site visits. The lectures series surveys the histories and discourses of contemporary art, demystifies the art world and provides multiple entry points into critical theory. The programme fosters experimentation and collaborative study in a community of peers, and provides practical tools to empower you to pursue your practice with confidence.

Course aims, outcomes & learning objectives
By the end of the course participants will have a sound grasp of the historical underpinnings and current debates in contemporary art. They will be able to critically discuss and evaluate contemporary art. Participants will leave the course with critical awareness of contemporary art practice, a road map and a toolbox of methodologies for their continuing practice and the confidence to pursue it independently.

Who is it for?
The course is open to everyone at any stage of their career or level of experience but it is particularly suited to those who have a background and experience in art and wish to develop their practice and extend their knowledge of contemporary art practices and discourses.

Art + Critique: Critical and Contextual Studies in Art Practice Online Course
Thu, 14 Oct 2021 – Thu, 10 Mar 2022 with a five-week Winter Break
Every Thursday 6:30pm-8:30pm GMT+1 (BST)
Course fee: £340 / Concessions £272. If the course fees are a barrier to your participation please get in touch so that we can find a way to make it more accessible for you.

For more information about the course schedule, lectures and reading please visit the page and/or download the Course Outline

New course: Art + Critique

New course: Art + Critique

Very excited to launch a new course! It combines almost a year’s worth of critical studies lectures and seminars, group tutorials and workshops into one term so it’s going to be pretty intense. Designed during the transition from lockdown to whatever it is we have now, it tries to make up for some of the community, context, interaction, challenge, motivation, freedom and future horizons that we lost in the last six months.

Continue reading New course: Art + Critique

CRITICAL STUDIES BIBLIOGRAPHY

CRITICAL STUDIES BIBLIOGRAPHY

A comprehensive bibliography for the Art + Critique Critical & Contextual Studies lecture and seminar series. You can use it as a further reading list or to locate references that are not in the handouts, reader or further reading and resources. Please click the headings for a drop-down list.

Continue reading CRITICAL STUDIES BIBLIOGRAPHY

Art + Critique: Critical & Contextual Studies in Art Practice

Art + Critique

CRITICAL & CONTEXTUAL STUDIES IN ART PRACTICE: ONLINE COURSE

This course integrates practice and theory in a comprehensive programme that emphasises critical inquiry in art practice and research. The course will help you develop your practice and research through a series of lectures, seminars, workshops, group tutorials and off-site visits. The syllabus offers a solid background in essential histories and discourses of contemporary art to help artists address questions about their practice and its context: about what art is, how it is judged and how it relates to society.

Continue reading Art + Critique: Critical & Contextual Studies in Art Practice

Claire Bishop: Artificial Hells

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Claire Bishop: Artificial Hells

Friday, 8 February 2019, 7pm – 9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Facilitated by Eva Ruschkowski
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite

DOWNLOAD Claire Bishop (2012). Artificial Hells. Verso Books. Continue reading Claire Bishop: Artificial Hells

Eagleton & Zizek: The Idea of Communism

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#32 Eagleton & Zizek: The Idea of Communism

Friday, 14 December 2018, 6:30pm – 9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
Facilitated by Neil Lamont
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite

In December we’re reading two chapters from the book The Idea of Communism (2010), Lear or Gonzalo by Terry Eagleton (chapter 6, pp. 101 – 110), and How to begin from the beginning  by Slavoj Zizek (chapter 15, pp. 209 – 226). This book club is facilitated by Neil Lamont. Continue reading Eagleton & Zizek: The Idea of Communism

Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.3

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#31 Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.3

Friday, 9 November 2018, 6:30pm – 9pm
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East

Facilitated by Silvia Bombardini & Elliot C. Mason
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite Continue reading Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.3

Debord: The Culmination of Separation

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#30 Debord: The Culmination of Separation

Friday, 12 October 2018, 18:30–21:00
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East

Facilitated by Penelope Kupfer & Darshana Vora
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite

In October we’re joining Penelope Kupfer and Darshana Vora to discuss The Culmination of Separation (or Separation Perfected), the first chapter of Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle, first published in 1967. Continue reading Debord: The Culmination of Separation

Derrida: Signature Event Context

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#27 Derrida: Signature Event Context

Friday, 11 May 2018, 18:30–21:00
LARC, 62 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1ES
Closest stations: Whitechapel / Aldgate East

Facilitated by Nat Pimlott & Sophia Kosmaoglou
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite

In May we’re discussing Signature Event Context, Jacques Derrida’s essay on John Austin’s speech act theory. It was originally delivered at a conference on Communication in 1971 by the Congrès international des Sociétés de philosophie de langue francaise in Montreal and first published in Marges de la philosophie (Margins of Philosophy) in 1972. Continue reading Derrida: Signature Event Context

Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.1

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#25 Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.1

Friday, 9 March 2018, 6:30pm-9pm
The Field 385 Queen’s Rd London SE14 5HD
Closest stations: New Cross Gate, Queens Road
Facilitated by Sophia Kosmaoglou
Suggested donation £2, booking via Eventbrite

In March we’re back at The Field for the first in a series of book clubs on Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher, starting with chapters 1-3 (pages 1-20). The book is 81 pages long and we can read it in 3-4 installments, something to decide at the end of the first session. The link below will take you to a PDF of the entire book. We will continue the series with chapters 4 & 5 on 11 May 2018, unless another proposal takes precedence. If you would like to facilitate any of the sessions please get in touch. Continue reading Fisher: Capitalist Realism Pt.1

Marx: The Fetishism of the Commodity and its Secret

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#15 Marx: Fetishism of the Commodity

Friday, 10 February 2017, 18:00 – 20:30
Wimbledon Art Studios, 10 Riverside Rd, London SW17 0BB
Rail/Underground: Earlsfield, Tooting Broadway
Chaired by Sophia Kosmaoglou
Free, please book your place

In February we’re reading The Fetishism of the Commodity and its Secret, from Karl Marx’s Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, first published 1867 in Hamburg. Continue reading Marx: The Fetishism of the Commodity and its Secret