Critical histories and theories of participation in the arts (lecture)
by Leon Tan
Monday 24 April, 13h00-14h30 at Z33

This lecture provides an overview of participatory art and design practices around the world, relating these to precedents in commedia dell’arte, Dada, Italian Futurism, Soviet Constructivism, Situationism and feminist art. It also discusses prevailing theories of participation including those of Claire Bishop, Nicolas Bourriaud, Grant Kester and Shannon Jackson, before critiquing all these positions from the point of view of sociological history, in particular, Richard Sennett’s arguments in The Fall of Public Man and The Culture of the New Capitalism. Finally, a theory of impersonal participation is advanced as an antidote to the hyper-valorization of Gemeinschaft in contemporary society.