Event Details

Vid Simoniti introduces his book Artists Remake the World (Yale University Press 2023), in which he puts forward a new account of art’s political potential.

The Centre for Interrogating Practices is pleased to invite Vid Simoniti to LICA to discuss his new book, Artists Remake the World (Yale University Press 2023).

Abstract:

Vid Simoniti introduces his book Artists Remake the World (Yale University Press 2023), in which he puts forward a new account of art’s political potential. Surveying the last twenty years, the book locates the predicament of contemporary art in three crises of capitalist democracies: of truth-based discourse, of the welfare state, and of social fragmentation. A response to these crises has triggered some of the most exciting recent artistic departures: from evidence-based art, to Arte Útil, and even a return to figurative painting as anti-hegemonic, countercultural representation. However, the diverse forms of politicized art today also point towards a paradox: how can contemporary art remain politically relevant, while retaining its own sense of identity?

In this talk, Simoniti will revisit some of the key claims from the book, and explore how they force us to reconsider some of the better-known philosophical formulations of the relationship between art and politics (Adorno, Rancière, Piper).

Biography:

Vid Simoniti is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Liverpool, where he also runs MA Art, Philosophy and Cultural Institutions. His published work includes such topics as art in the age of the climate crisis, connections between art and biotechnology, and political aesthetics.

This event is free and all are welcome. Come along for insightful discussions!