In this group session we are going to collectively unpack ideas found in Simon O’Sullivan’s text “The Production of Subjectivity”. Do try and read this in advance and outline any key questions you wish to discuss. In this paper, he considers theories of subjectivity, specifically the formation of subjectivities through the diverse set of relations that are established through being in the world.

How does our experience of being in the world affect the way we feel and think? What occurs, for example in the workplace to individuals (and a body of people) who’s experience of the world is dominated by precarity, zero hours contracts, bullying and nepotism? What kind of subjectivities does this produce? How do we feel about it, and how can we form a response? Lots of useful, if not mind blowing questions emerge from this discussion!

We will consider how this affects our relation to art and exhibition. How might these ideas of subjectivity as something that is constantly in-formation (or becoming) affect how we think about audiences, and indeed the exhibition itself? How might we think of an exhibition or other curatorial format (such as a programme of performances or talks) as something that produces subjects differently? To work in the field of art and exhibition, does one have to play the game and simply accept hierarchy, favouritism, nepotism, neoliberalism, sexism, bigotry and the colonialism and colonisation of the history of exhibition? Here’s the link to the essay…

Simon O’Sullivan (2006), “Academy: The Production of Subjectivity” in Academy, ed. Irit Rogoff et al, Frankfurt: Revolver, pp. 238-44.

 

Notes

  • Power – top down
  • turn of 20th century – unions created a community – even though a divide (eg. of classes) is created it creates a community, a grouping, a rebellion and an opposite
  • once de-centralised – it disperses (eg. mining community)
  • How does it happen that the working class vote for the conservatives?
  • How does it happen that black people or immigrants to USA vote for Trump?
  • Collectivity is a model of pedagogy not yet used enough
  • can have modest proposals – does not have to be hugely deviant to create difference and thought
  • art and collective productivity can think differently