Title:
16Beaver -- Mass Moca Series -- The Ongoing Conference
16Beaver is a network of artists, curators, writers, thinkers
and activists who converge on a regular basis at a space in Lower Manhattan
to discuss issues, exchange ideas, and raise questions. Some people are
"regulars" and involved on a day to day basis, and others come
in and out at their liking. The arrangement remains open to anyone who
is interested. Some collaborative projects are born out of discussions,
in other cases people take the discussions as a starting point for their
individual pursuits. In addition to artist presentations, political discussions,
organized happenings, lunches, walks, parties, screenings and the like,
participants regularly share and discuss readings with one another, opening
the space for what Joseph Beuys referred to as an "ongoing conference."
An ongoing conference that combines the most pressing social, political,
artistic, and philosophical questions within the framework of the everyday,
the routine, the quotidian.
In the context of this exhibition, it seemed the most appropriate participation
would be for 16Beaver to act as a New York Satellite to Mass Moca. Often
16Beaver events, readings, e-mails serve to create a discursive space,
supplementing the work we are doing (whether individually or collaboratively).
Of course, one of the interesting aspects of how 16Beaver functions is
that within the context of our group "work" the most substantial
project we have is the development of that discursive space. So what may
at first glance be the supplementary component of work, become a core
element of what we "do" collaboratively. This understanding
has raised interesting questions for each of us about the role of discussion,
discourse, and even community in the context of artistic practice, particularly
socially engaged practices.
=================
Over the course of the Interventionists exhibition, 16Beaver will be organizing
a series of discussions, events, readings and happenings which will attempt
to outline some of the central questions that concern politically/socially
engaged artists.
Using the exhibition as starting point, we will invite selected artists
from "The Interventionists" as well as others whose work or
writing we are interested in to discuss their practice, their strategies
and to foreground the political, formal, theoretical questions that they
are attempting to confront, provoke, or raise. But the discussions will
not end there, instead the exhibition will also act as a type of provocation,
to "take inventory" and formulate via a publication (at the
conclusion of the exhibition) some of the political and philosophical
questions we find to be most pressing for a contemporary politicized art
practice.
In addition to the work that will take place in New York City, additional
events will take place in other cities, with a possible tie-in event at
Mass Moca toward the conclusion of the exhibition.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The
MASS MoCA Series
(unless otherwise noted, all events at 16Beaver)
==========
09.11.04
==========
Symposium
-- Concerning the Political in Art --
at MASS MoCA
==========
08.30.04
==========
Open
Forum / Discussion -- Josh MacPhee & Not an Alternative Art Collective
==========
08.26.04
==========
Workshop/Presentation
-- The Pink Bloque
==========
08.10.04
==========
Presentation
/ Discussion -- Cesare
Pietroiusti + Matthieu Laurette + Carolyn Christov-BakargieV
==========
08.03.04
==========
Action / Discussion /
Food / Drinks -- Reverend Billy
==========
08.02.04
==========
Reading/Discussion
-- Brian Holmes -- The Flexible Personality
Download
the reading:
PDF version
HTML
version
Read Interview:
Flexible
Personality Interview (B.Holmes,
R.Gabri)
==========
07.26.04
==========
Reading
/ Discussion -- Brecht / Lukacs / Benjamin
Download the reading:
PDF version
part
1
part 2
part 3
part 4
Efax
version
(click
here to download
efax software)
==========
07.19.04
==========
Reading
/ Discussion -- Inheriting Constructivists -- Greg Sholette
Download
Reading:
PDF
version
Html version
==========
07.15.04
==========
Commitment
(a discussion) -- Adorno
Download Reading:
Efax Version
Part
1
Part 2
Part 3
(click here
to download
efax software)
PDF
version
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
==========
06.21.04
==========
Reading
/ Discussion -- CAE
Download
Reading:
Part
1
Part 2
==========
12.15.03
==========
Curatorial
Series -- Nato Thompson + Greg Sholette
==========
03.12.04
==========
Discussion
-- Michelangelo Pistoletto
All events organized by 16Beaver
Curator for The Interventionists exhibition at MASS MoCA,
Nato Thompson