Cluster Members: Luiza Duarte Caetano and Lily Gies
This cluster aims at investigating the relationship between the arts, broadly understood, and capitalism. We take on a historical approach aimed at the challenges for producing political art in the present.
First, we will study the history of, and then theorize about, the possibility of producing art that is antagonistic to capitalism today, in its latest stage. Second, we will produce one or more works of art that practice the outcomes of our theories and contribute dialectically to it.
We are currently at the first stage of our project, which is dedicated to reading, discussing, and learning. Our reading list is conceived as a work in progress to reflect the development of our understanding of capitalism and aesthetics, as well as the changing interests of the cluster. We start from Western Marxist theory and Western artistic practices and artwork, but welcome contributions, suggestions, or detours towards theories and practices from other traditions and historical periods, including feminist, anarchist, and decolonial perspectives.
Some of the questions that motivate us are:
- How has art contributed to and challenged capitalism in each of its historical moments?
- Where is the relationship to capitalism visible in art?
- What did it look like when theorists and artists teamed up against capitalism in the past? And how did the relationship between theory and practice materialize then?
- What are the main obstacles for an aesthetics of resistance today?
- What does capitalism look like now, and what is art’s function within it?
This first stage of our cluster will take place during the Winter and Spring semester in 2023, starting in January. We welcome participants across the disciplines and at any level of expertise. Please be in touch at any point in the semester if you would like to be a part of the conversation!