Rethinking Robert Smithson

On the occasion of the release of the new publication Robert Smithson: Art in Continual Movement, Alauda Publications presents a one-day symposium about the legacy of the artist Robert Smithson (1938-1973) and its relevance for contemporary artistic practices. Along the line of two thematic approaches relates to Smithson’s practice, “Art & Ecology” and “The Cinematic Condition”, topical concerns in artistic practice of the 1970s are reconsidered by internationally renowned theorists and artists. The symposium will also include the official book launch.

The Art & Ecology panel will critically consider the various meanings of ‘ecology’ as well as the rhetoric of ‘sustainability’, recognizing these buzzwords as deeply political, contentious and ideological, and will ask what we can learn from Smithson’s and other historical artistic practice when conducting a critical investigation into the current relationship between art, ecology and sustainability. The discussion will be lead by our own Sven Lütticken and contributors include art historian T.J. Demos and artist Nils Norman, among others.

The Cinematic Condition panel will focus on Smithson’s use of various media, leading to a highly mediatized form of perceptual experience, and especially on his use of film. This panel asks how examining Smithson’s legacy might provide us better insight into current artistic positions concerning the cinematic condition and spectatorship in art. To what extent do the set of institutional, technical and cultural parameters that determined the cinematic condition of post-minimal art, and Smithson’s work in particular, coincide with or, alternatively, diverge from our present? The discussion will be lead by Eric de Bruyn and contributors include art historians Ann Reynolds and Sabeth Buchmann, among others.

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Coordinates
Rethinking Robert Smithson
Friday, March 30 | 10:00 – 17:00
Royal Academy of Arts (KABK), The Hague
Admittance: € 15 / € 7,50
programme & registration

Publication
Robert Smithson: Art in Continual Movement
Ingrid Commandeur & Trudy van Riemsdijk-Zandee (eds.)
with contributions by Max Andrews, Eric C.H. de Bruyn, Stefan Heidenreich, Sven Lütticken, Anja Novak & Vivian van Saaze
Alauda Publications, 2012

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Julia Bryan-Wilson Seminar & Lecture

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As announced earlier this month, Julia Bryan-Wilson will lead a VAMA research seminar and give a public lecture on February 20. Her research on a marker for a nuclear waste dump site will be the main focus of discussion.

Julia Bryan-Wilson is Associate professor at the History of Art Department, University of California (Berkeley). Her research focuses on modern and contemporary art, in particular post-war American, Latin American and European art, feminism, queer theory, performance, craft histories, video, art in the nuclear age, and collaborative practices. Her book Art Workers: Radical Practice in the Vietnam War Era was published in 2009 and was named a “best book of the year” by Artforum magazine.

The visit and talk of Julia Bryan-Wilson is a co-organization with Extra City Kunsthal Antwerp, where she is giving a talk on Saturday February 18 within the frameworkof the project Residence Reading Room by the artists Kathleen Vermeir and Ronny Heiremans. More information about this project can be found here.

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Coordinates Research Seminar
Monday February 20
VU University, room 12-A10
15:00 – 17:00

Coordinates Public Lecture
Monday February 20
VU University, room 08-A04
18:00

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Update on Student Projects

In the Projects section, Stefaan Vervoort’s recent paper on architectural models (OASE 84) has been added to Student Papers.

Below, you can see an interview with Stefaan Vervoort and Joana Meroz on the occasion of their 2010 participation in the exhibition DNKTNK 2010.

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Recommended Lectures in February

In February, there’s plenty of opportunity to listen to some great talks. A selection:

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First of all, there’s tonight’s Métamatic Artist’s Lecture by Aleksandra Hirszfeld. Entry to these lectures is still free, but do send a short email to paul@allartinitiatives.org. As always, the lecture will take place at Felix Meritis in Amsterdam and will start at 20:00. More information can be found here.

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After his visit to VU University for an Art Criticism Seminar on February 8th, artist Paul Chan will also make a stop at the Oude Lutherse Kerk (UvA Aula) in Amsterdam. On February 9th, he will give a joined lecture with Hito Steyerl. This is the fourth lecture within the Facing Forward series and will focus on Future Freedom.

All information on timing, tickets and prices can be found at www.facingforward.nl

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On Friday February 10th, you can choose between the first part of the annual Licht op Italië symposium (programme) at VU University or a lecture by UvA’s Rachel Esner entitled Visiting the Studio with l’Illustration in Utrecht, organized by OSK. (more)

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On Monday February 20th, we are again welcoming an international scholar for a reading seminar and a public lecture at the VU. Julia Bryan-Wilson from the History of Art Department, University of California – Berkeley, will join us to discuss her research on a marker for a nuclear waste dump site.

The programme of the afternoon is the following:
15:00-17:00 : reading seminar ‘Building a Marker of Nuclear Warning’
18:00 : public lecture Monumental Forecasting
(rooms to be announced)

The visit and talk of Julia Bryan-Wilson is a co-organization with Extra City Kunsthal Antwerp, where she is giving a talk on Saturday 18 February within the framework of the project Residence Reading Room by the artists Kathleen Vermeir and Ronny Heiremans. (more)

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Finally, on Friday the 24th, VU’s Professor of English Literature Diederik Oostdijk will give his inaugural lecture entitled De New York-Amsterdam Connectie. Over literatuur en transnationalisme in een visuele tijd. The ceremony will take place at 15:45 in the Aula (main building, 1st floor) and will be followed by a reception.

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Website Changes

During the past couple of days, the website has gone through a couple of changes. Basically, everything still looks the same – only the Activities section has changed. From now on, both Upcoming and Past Events are subdivided into three categories: VAMA, Related Events and All Events. Here’s how it works:

VAMA collects all events organized in the context of the (research) master programme. It includes reading seminars, symposiums organized at the end of a course, information days, thesis presentations, excursions, …

Related Events gives a selection of events organized by or in collaboration with our staff, students or alumni. It also tries to include other events that our students might be interested in, but it is far from a complete cultural calendar.

All Events gives an overview of everything listed in the above two categories in an easy calendar format, but without the links to extra information.

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To start you off, here’s February’s calendar:

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Seminar Paul Chan

Paul Chan, Sade for Sade’s Sake , 2009

On February 8th, Sven Lütticken will receive Paul Chan for a reading seminar. The seminar serves as a prelude to the course Art Criticism but is open to all students.

The session will centre on four texts by Paul Chan – “What Art Is and Where it Belongs”, “The Unthinkable Community”, “A Lawless Proposition” (all available via e-flux) and “The Spirit of Recession” (available via Chan’s homepage). Students will have the opportunity to engage with Chan on the matter of these texts, and special attention will be directed at the role of writing in Chan’s artistic practice.

Coordinates
Wednesday, February 8th
16:00
VU University, room 08-A13

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more Upcoming Events >>

more Course Information >>

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