Contemporary Art Practices
Master studio 2021-2022
PXL-MAD School of Arts
Table of Contents
¶Mentors
Lieven Segers: lieven.segers@pxl.be / mobile: +32 478 424435
Pieter Vermeulen: pieter.vermeulen@pxl.be / mobile: +32 487 256170
Lieven Segers: lieven.segers@pxl.be / mobile: +32 478 424435
Pieter Vermeulen: pieter.vermeulen@pxl.be / mobile: +32 487 256170
¶Summary
What does artistic resistance mean today? The past decade has witnessed a global rise in self-organized protest movements such as Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, the Hong Kong protests, Golden Dawn, Yellow vests, Proud boys, Generation identity, Querdenker, US capitol riots, Extinction Rebellion, Youth for Climate, etc. These collective forms of rebellion and civil disobedience, each with a clearly identifiable aesthetic, are unmistakable signs of the turbulent times we live in, that of both a crisis climate and a climate crisis. But what does this imply in a more artistic context? Is there a sharp distinction to be made between art and activism, or are there more hybrid forms? Do the oppositional strategies of twentieth-century counterculture still apply today? Can we still think of an ‘outside’? What is the link between counterculture and cyberculture? In this masterclass, we will combine a theoretical framework with a hands-on approach.
Bring along 3 books, about an artist, about art that relates to the topic above. We will make a collaborative library.
What does artistic resistance mean today? The past decade has witnessed a global rise in self-organized protest movements such as Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, the Hong Kong protests, Golden Dawn, Yellow vests, Proud boys, Generation identity, Querdenker, US capitol riots, Extinction Rebellion, Youth for Climate, etc. These collective forms of rebellion and civil disobedience, each with a clearly identifiable aesthetic, are unmistakable signs of the turbulent times we live in, that of both a crisis climate and a climate crisis. But what does this imply in a more artistic context? Is there a sharp distinction to be made between art and activism, or are there more hybrid forms? Do the oppositional strategies of twentieth-century counterculture still apply today? Can we still think of an ‘outside’? What is the link between counterculture and cyberculture? In this masterclass, we will combine a theoretical framework with a hands-on approach.
Bring along 3 books, about an artist, about art that relates to the topic above. We will make a collaborative library.
¶Location
Kunsthal Gent, Lange Steenstraat 14, 9000 Gent
Participants are expected to ‘occupy’ or inhabit the space of Kunsthal Gent during 18-20 October.
Bring (indoor) camping equipment! (tent, sleeping bags,... whatever you think you need.) This is a visual part, see you can see it as a group-sculpture!
Kunsthal Gent, Lange Steenstraat 14, 9000 Gent
Participants are expected to ‘occupy’ or inhabit the space of Kunsthal Gent during 18-20 October.
Bring (indoor) camping equipment! (tent, sleeping bags,... whatever you think you need.) This is a visual part, see you can see it as a group-sculpture!
¶Guest tutors
CHT/Totalism.org (Elisabeth De Laet & David Potocnik)
Check out their dynamic residency program at Kunsthal Gent here → https://kunsthal.totalism.org
CHT/Totalism.org (Elisabeth De Laet & David Potocnik)
Check out their dynamic residency program at Kunsthal Gent here → https://kunsthal.totalism.org
¶General info
The Master studio ‘Contemporary Art Practices’ is conceived as an intensive course, where the Master's student - from all fields of study - learns to develop a meta-position in relation to his or her own work. Images, texts and ideas are used to communicate and reflect on the attitude, ambitions, starting points, urgency, relevance, psychology, visual language and raison d'être of both their own work and that of others. How do you consider your own position as a maker?
In-depth conversations, individually and in group, are alternated with encounters with other artists and their work, discussing existing visual material and critical texts, textual reflection on one's own work, physical and mental excursions,... in order to arrive at an end point/presentation/project that claims its place in the world. This presentation and the preceding exercises form the substantive breeding ground for your master project. In the assessment, the process will be more important than the product. Active participation will be key.
The master studio comprises 12 credits (= 360 hours), which translates into 56 contact hours with Pieter and Lieven and 304 hours during which work is done on an independent basis.
The Master studio ‘Contemporary Art Practices’ is conceived as an intensive course, where the Master's student - from all fields of study - learns to develop a meta-position in relation to his or her own work. Images, texts and ideas are used to communicate and reflect on the attitude, ambitions, starting points, urgency, relevance, psychology, visual language and raison d'être of both their own work and that of others. How do you consider your own position as a maker?
In-depth conversations, individually and in group, are alternated with encounters with other artists and their work, discussing existing visual material and critical texts, textual reflection on one's own work, physical and mental excursions,... in order to arrive at an end point/presentation/project that claims its place in the world. This presentation and the preceding exercises form the substantive breeding ground for your master project. In the assessment, the process will be more important than the product. Active participation will be key.
The master studio comprises 12 credits (= 360 hours), which translates into 56 contact hours with Pieter and Lieven and 304 hours during which work is done on an independent basis.
¶Mon. 18/10
14:00 Arrival at Kunsthal Gent, set up indoor camping (Pieter and Lieven are only arriving in the evening)
16:00 Welcome by Danielle van Zuijlen (Kunsthal Gent artistic coordinator)
20:00 Introduction by Lieven & Pieter, Elisabeth & David (CHT)
(until approx 10pm)
###[!!] we could pack more on day 0
14:00 Arrival at Kunsthal Gent, set up indoor camping (Pieter and Lieven are only arriving in the evening)
16:00 Welcome by Danielle van Zuijlen (Kunsthal Gent artistic coordinator)
20:00 Introduction by Lieven & Pieter, Elisabeth & David (CHT)
¶Tue. 19/10
10:00 Group discussion and feedback sessions with Lieven
(Everyone could talk for 10-15min about the books they brought)
14:00 Assignment in the city of Ghent
"can go anywhere, but maybe to do a super-fast action connected to artistic resistance"
"how can something be made fast, react as an intervention"
[!] connection to T'Pand (squat being shut down next door, now organizing manifestations)
###[!!] trip/session can be shortened, to get another work session in, at 17:00
19:00 Collective dinner & (de-)briefing
[!*] how is it organized/prepared?
21:00 Film screening (documentary? movie? videos?)
10:00 Group discussion and feedback sessions with Lieven
14:00 Assignment in the city of Ghent
19:00 Collective dinner & (de-)briefing
21:00 Film screening (documentary? movie? videos?)
¶Wed. 20/10
10:00 Workshop with Elisabeth & David (CHT)
###[!!] we move this to after P's lecture?
15:00 Lecture by Pieter
###[!!] we move this to 10:00 ?
(Wed-Thu evening LV has a 24h performance in Antwerp):
17:00 Debriefing
18:00 Departure
[!!] ###put back in programme### Group discussion and feedback sessions with Pieter
10:00 Workshop with Elisabeth & David (CHT)
15:00 Lecture by Pieter
17:00 Debriefing
18:00 Departure
¶* Kunsthal Inhabitation: Bring along indoor camping material
* "The old house" of Kunsthal Gent is a room of ~25x12 squares, squares are about 0.5m.
* It has floor heating, we can provide additional heaters.
* We reccommend:
* sleeping bag with a comfort temperature rating of 15°C
* a sleeping mat or inflatable
* ear plugs
* a towel
* A shared kitchen (with fridge) is available, an expresso machine & your own water heater
* Toilets & a shower are directly accessible in the Kunsthal.
* Danielle (artistic coordinator of Kunsthal) will welcome you to your stay at the Kunsthal & introduce its limits.
* Elisabeth & David (crew of CHT/T) will assist with day-to-day, including technicals, and doors.
* "The old house" of Kunsthal Gent is a room of ~25x12 squares, squares are about 0.5m.
* It has floor heating, we can provide additional heaters.
* We reccommend:
* sleeping bag with a comfort temperature rating of 15°C
* a sleeping mat or inflatable
* ear plugs
* a towel
* A shared kitchen (with fridge) is available, an expresso machine & your own water heater
* Toilets & a shower are directly accessible in the Kunsthal.
* Danielle (artistic coordinator of Kunsthal) will welcome you to your stay at the Kunsthal & introduce its limits.
* Elisabeth & David (crew of CHT/T) will assist with day-to-day, including technicals, and doors.
¶* Bring some personal working material (whatever you need as an artist on the road)
You will be able to draw, sketch, build, compute, read, project, etc at Kunsthal.
You will be able to draw, sketch, build, compute, read, project, etc at Kunsthal.
¶Books proposals
(CHT) → 🔗commonground (read this first)
(CHT) Chomsky/Herman - Manufacturing consent
[...] ← add more!
(CHT) → 🔗commonground (read this first)
(CHT) Chomsky/Herman - Manufacturing consent
[...] ← add more!
¶Film/video proposals
(CHT) pepsi commercial → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwvAgDCOdU4
(Lieven) Enjoy poverty (2008, Renzo Martens)
[...] ← add more!
(CHT) pepsi commercial → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwvAgDCOdU4
(Lieven) Enjoy poverty (2008, Renzo Martens)
[...] ← add more!