Art and Populism: Symposium

Claire Fontaine, Left & Right, 2023, Pescia Fiorentina. Courtesy the artist and Hypermaremma, photo credit Daniele Molajoli

ART AND POPULISM: SYMPOSIUM

Thursday 11 June, 9.30am-6.30pm

Moser Lecture Theatre, Wadham College, University of Oxford

Organised by Marko Ilic (Dept of History of Art, Oxford) and Sofia Gotti (Courtauld Institute)

Free to attend – seating is first-come; first-served

Download the full programme (PDF)

Amid intense instability in the art world – where protests, boycotts, and resignations have become commonplace – this two-day event brings together leading artists, curators, critics and scholars to examine one of the most urgent political forces of our time: populism. 

For over a decade, populism has dominated headlines and ignited debate across the political spectrum; few words give a more enticing, and murky, indication of the current, politically turbulent moment. Yet despite extensive analysis from the social political sciences – and the rapid rise of 'populism studies' – its impact on art, curating and cultural institutions remains unexplored. This event addresses that gap by convening an international group of leading thinkers, artists, critics and curators to consider how populism is reshaping the art world – and how the art world, in turn, is mobilising populism.

Moving beyond simple characterisations, speakers will approach populism as a contested tool, a mechanism of power, and a potential tool for radical democracy. Discussions will range from how artists and curators navigate the fault lines between ‘elite’ and ‘popular’ culture, to how populism shapes cultural governance and engenders the aestheticisation of politics. Participants will also reflect on what implications populism has for the ways we work, organise and collaborate today.

The first day, 11 June, will take the form of a day‑long symposium at Wadham College, University of Oxford. On 12 June, participants will gather at The Courtauld Institute for a closed‑door workshop. The project will culminate in an evening event hosted by the Research Forum, featuring two public panels with speakers from the symposium. Participants across both days include TJ Demos, Sarah James, Dean Kissick, Angela Dimitrakaki, Clive Nwonka, Lars Bang Larsen, Luce deLire, Anthony Gardner, Claire Fontaine, Ana Dević (WHW), and the Otolith Group.

The symposium was made possible through generous support from the John Fell Oxford University Press Research Fund, the Department of History of Art and Centre for Visual Studies, and Wadham College, Oxford.

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