Summer School - Art as Politics, 22 - 26 July 2019, HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, Netherlands

Art as Politics

Art as Politics brings together those involved in arts, academia, and activisms to collectively think through, learn about, and imagine critical, politically-informed artistic practices that grasp and influence our dramatically changing times. Workshops, presentations, study groups, texts, screenings, and lectures focus on alternative and collective artistic practices, contemporary constructions of “we,” institutional structuring, looming and present fascisms, and art as a space for envisioning and actualizing ways of being together otherwise.

Through case studies, storytelling, theory, presentations, discussions, workshops, study groups, and exercises, the course 'Art as Politics' asks about and speaks to art as a space in which radical (re)workings can flourish.

In order to address the subjects, the 2018 course 'Art a Politics' turns to art practice, theory, and institutions that work at these ontological and material arrangements. Artists, curators, activists, and theorists will convene workshops, presentations, study groups, screenings, and lectures. We will also draw upon BAK research, including our current four-year trajectory Propositions for Non-Fascist Living; our connected Fellowship Program, which hosts 10 exemplary interdisciplinary fellows each year; FORMER WEST (2008–2016), which developed a critical understanding of the legacies of 1989’s radical resistance to power in order to reevaluate the global present and speculate about global futures; and Future Vocabularies (2013–2016), which attempted to act out concrete propositions that explore shifts in the existing conceptual vocabularies within artistic, intellectual, and activist practices.

This is a discourse-driven course organized by HKU University of the Arts Utrecht in collaboration with BAK, basis voor actuele kunst.

Course director

Maria Hlavajova

Lecturers

This Summer School is organized by Maria Hlavajova, Artistic Director, and Whitney Stark, Curator of Research and Fellowship at BAK. Contributors will be listed in due time.

Target audience

This is an advanced, interdisciplinary course designed for artists, curators, art theorists, academics, MA/MFA level or higher students, and professionals in the fields of art and social change.

Study load

Each day will consist of blocks, in which lectures, presentations, workshops, screenings, group work, and/or critical plenary discussions will take place. Participants should expect up to an hour and a half of study and/or site visiting per evening. Before the course, participants will be sent a link to a dropbox containing pre-summer school readings and/or links to explore or view. Participants are expected to have read compulsory materials before the course and to be prepared to actively participate in discussions and workshops. The course will be taught in spoken English. Please inquire for any accessibility concerns.

Costs

Housing through Utrecht Summer School

Please contact the Utrecht Summer School office for any questions about housing.

Scholarships

Limited fee reductions may be possible; please inquire about this possibility before 10 April 2019.

Application

Please make sure to upload your cv and letter of motivation in order to complete your application.

For this course you are required to upload the following documents when applying:

•  Motivation Letter
•  C.V.

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.