Autonomy : New forms of freedom and independence in Art and Culture

Autonomy : New forms of freedom and independence in Art and Culture

Art, freedom, independence, culture

In this time of ideological and political crises, in which people and things are increasingly thrown back on their own resources, autonomy is considered again. But how does autonomy, the wish to take matters into one's own hands and have significance independent of old structures, relate to the call for engagement and performativity? This issue, made in collaboration with Sven Lütticken, examines autonomy from the standpoints of art, art history, philosophy, political theory, and cultural criticism, and attempts to escape the limitations of thinking in terms of engagement on the one hand and autonomy on the other. Steven ten Thije delves into the background of The Autonomy Project. John Byrne argues that art must be freed from its current technocratic framework. According to John Hartle, the rightwing-populist criticism of art lacks democratic legitimacy. Willem van Weelden interviews Franco Berardi on the Italian Autonomia movement and autonomy, Occupy, and education. Hito Steyerl makes a plea for isolation in order to think about how life can recapture its autonomy from art. Christoph Brunner, Gerald Raunig, and Roberto Nigro examine new dimensions in current forms of activism. Joost de Bloois comments on the recent protests against government cutbacks, whereby an appeal is made to autonomy. Sven Lütticken investigates the concept of autonomy and its relation to aesthetics and politics in the context of post-war modernism. Andrea Fraser argues for an approach to autonomy from a psychoanalytic perspective. Peter Osborne analyses misunderstandings about the autonomy of art and goes into Adorno's ideas in this regard. Thomas Hirschhorn and Jacques Rancière investigate what the essence of a work of art might be in these times.

[This description is from the Dutch Art Institute]

Jorinde Seijdel (main editor), Essays written by; Thomas Hirschhirn & Jacques Ranciere, Peter Osborne, Sven Lutticken, Joost de Bloois, Christoph Brunner, Gerald Raunig, Robert Nigro, Hito Steyerl, Willem van Weelden, Franco Berardi, John Hartle, John Bryne, Steven ten Thije

Essays that have been contributed to Open! the magazine

Eelco van Welie, NAi Publishers

2012

Liesbeth Melis (final edit)

160 pages

English

Belgium

WCZIN0110

Belgium