B5361 - Art and the Political Economy of the Commons (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students develop the critical and historical tools to appreciate the link between art and social engagement, particularly but not exclusively, in relation to the politics of representation and around the role of contemporary art practices in activating processes of gathering, assembling and commoning. They mature the skills to analyse and contextualize the main artistic currents within visual and conceptual art, both within the western context and regarding wider decolonial trends. They are also able to critically assess artistic practices, carry out independent research and activate their knowledge in the urban context, in critical dialogue with existing cultural and social institutions.

Course contents

The course uses the anthropological framework to unpack the relationships between art and politics, starting from the modernist avantgardes and continuing through participatory art, relational aesthetics, public art and the most recent decolonial and abolitionism strands. Following contemporary debates about art and value (Dave Beech, 2019 and John Roberts 2024), the course discusses those artistic practices aimed at implementing commons, intended as zones of autonomy from settler colonial capitalism. Relying on a number of art and curatorial projects led by the convener, the course sketches the notion of ART/COMMONS intended as both a horizon of radical imagination, and as practice of human freedom. Ad-dressing the next generation of artists, curators and activists, the aim of this course is to develop common strategies, vocabularies, and lines of actions to prefigure and enact together life after capitalism.

Readings/Bibliography

BEECH, DAVE 2019. Art and Post-Capitalism. Aesthetic Labour, Automation and Value Production. London: Pluto Press.

BISHOP, CLAIRE 2012 Artificial Hells: Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship. London and New York: Verso.

DE ANGELIS, MASSIMO. 2017. Omnia Sunt Communia. On the Commons and the Transformation to Postcapitalism.

KESTER, GRANT. 2011. The One and the Many: Contemporary Collaborative Art in a Global Context. Durham: Duke University Press.

HAIVEN, MAX 2018. Art After Money. Money After Art. Creative Strategies Against Financialization. London: Pluto Press.

LA BERGE, CLAIRE 2019. Wages Against Artwork. Duke University Press.

LOYD, DAVID. 2019. Under Representation. The Racial Regime of Aesthetics. New York: Fordham University

MOLLONA, MASSIMILIANO. 2021. ART/COMMONS. Anthropology Beyond Capitalism.

ROBERTS, JOHN. 2024 Art and Emancipation. London: Brill.

PONCE DE LEON, JENNIFER. 2021. Another Aesthetics Is Possible
Arts of Rebellion in the Fourth World War. Duke University Press.

Teaching methods

The course is based on a mix of frontal lectures and class seminars in which students are expected to engage actively with the theoretical material including through individual and group presentations and collective discussion. The cycle of lectures may be integrated with masterclasses by invited speakers. Suzanne Lacy; Dora Garcia; Max Haiven; Decolonize This Place (DTP);

 

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Assessment methods

One written exam of the duration of 2 hours based on one open question, and with no word limit.

Students are expected to show good knowledge of the theoretical material, to be able to critically analyse such material and to formulate arguments clearly and confidently.

Marks are as below:

30 e lode: excellent

30: extremely good

29-27: very good.

26-24: good

23-21: pass high

20-18:pass low

<18:fail.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Powerpoint, Film projection,

Office hours

See the website of Massimiliano Nicola Mollona