Presentations constitute the most important part of the class. Given the pedagogical orientation of this course (The Activist as Educator), you will be teaching, fleshing out the weekly themes through close readings of assigned texts.
Presentations will take place in groups of TWO. Two presentations will take place each week. Each presentation will last 45 minutes (including a question/discussion period).
Each presentation will focus on ONE reading. (Assignments will occur between Week 1 and 2)
The main challenge will be to extract from this text strategies for alternate activisms. They will at times be explicit; but they will also need to be invented. These new strategies will slowly emerge out of your close reading. Always bear in mind that the goal of this presentation isn’t simply to analyze the text (though this is a necessary first step), but to propose methods for potential future action. This should always be at the forefront of your work.
Any teaching tools you want to employ are fair game: diagrams, video/audio, exercises for the rest of the class to engage in. Your presentation should be dynamic and involve the class in a wide-ranging interrogation of the reading materials. You will want to enter into details. See Ben Bratton on the pitfalls of TED talks so you know what NOT to do!
You will also develop a minimum of 5 questions to address the class, to stimulate discussion. Those questions can be scattered throughout the presentation (beginning, throughout, end) in whichever way suits your chosen procedure.
Each presentation group will communicate with me by email no later than 2 weeks before the presentation in order to make sure you are on the right track, and so that I can help you with further resources.
WEEK 4 COOPERATION
1. Robert Chia & Robin Holt — Strategy Without Design, Ch. 1 (intro also VERY useful) (2009)
2. Karen Knorr Cetina — Complex Global Microstructures: The New Terrorist Societies (2005)
3. Judith Butler — Bodily Vulnerability, Coalitions and Street Politics (p. 161) (2012) (Heather & Stephanie)
WEEK 5 SITUATION
1. Keller Easterling – Disposition (2010) (Marica & Danielle)
2. McKenzie Wark – Détournement: An Abuser’s Guide (2009) AND Naomi Klein — Culture Jamming (Ch. 12 from No Logo) (Kasthuri & Rubishana)
3. RAQS Media Collective – X Notes on Practice (2004) (Krysta & Dana)
________________READING BREAK________________
WEEK 6 CONJUNCTION
1. James Scott — Domination and the Arts of Resistance (Ch. 7—The Infrapolitics of Subordinate Groups) (1990)
2. Keller Easterling — Extrastatecraft: The Power of Infrastructure Space (Ch. 6—Extrastatecraft) (2014) (Alicia & Courtney)
3. Robert Greene – 48 Laws of Power (1998) (Philip & Sofia)
LAW 9 WIN THROUGH YOUR ACTIONS NEVER ARGUMENT (69-75)
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LAW 17 KEEP OTHERS IN SUSPENDED TERROR: CULTIVATE AN AIR OF UNPREDICTABILITY (123-9)
LAW 31 CONTROL THE OPTIONS: GET OTHERS TO PLAY WITH THE CARDS YOU DEAL (254-262)
LAW 35 MASTER THE ART OF TIMING (291-299)
LAW 48 ASSUME FORMLESSNESS (419-430)
WEEK 7 HYPERSTITION and XENOCOMMUNICATION
1. Donna Haraway – A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology and Socialist Feminism (Chapter 8 of Simians, Cyborgs, and Women, pp. 149-182) (1991) (Estee & Kayla)
2. Isabelle Stengers & Philippe Pignarre – Capitalist Sorcery (Part II – Learning to Protect Oneself Ch. 6-10, pp. 39-67 AND 135-141 (Reclaim)) (2011)
3. Chris Fleming & John O’Carroll – The Art of the Hoax (2010) AND Delphi Carstens – Hyperstition (2010) (Kaitlin & Mojola)
WEEK 8—MONDAY APRIL 13
1. Alexander Galloway & Eugene Thacker – Protocol, Control and Networks (2004) AND Galloway/Thacker The Exploit: A Theory of Networks (p. 81-97) and Appendix: Notes for a Liberated Computer Language (p. 159-166) (2007) (Francesca & Casandra)
2. BAVO – Always Choose the Worst Option: Artistic Resistance and the Strategy of Over-Identification (2007) AND Slavoj Zizek – Why are Laibach and NSK not Fascists? (1993) (Isabel & Madeleine)
3. Gregory Sholette — Dark Matter: Art and Politics in the Age of Enterprise Culture (Ch. 7—Mockstitutions) (2011) (Katelyn & Leah)
WEEK 9—WEDNESDAY APRIL 15
1. Anna Munster – An Aesthesia of Networks, Ch. 4: Going Viral: Contagion as Networked Affect, Networked Refrain (2013) (Kulsoom & Kathryn)
2. Brian Massumi - Perception Attack: Brief on War Time (2010) (Gabriel & Dave)
3. Suzanne Cusick — Music as Torture / Music as Weapon AND Steve Goodman — Sonic Warfare: Project Jericho AND The Earworm (Natalie & Eleyna)
WEEK 10–WEDNESDAY APRIL 22
1. Paolo Virno - Labor, Action, Intellect (Part 2 from A Grammar of the Multitude) (2004) (Nicole & Scott)
2. Alenka Zupancic – Structural Dynamics and Temporality of the Comical (Ch. 8 from The Odd One In) (2008) (Shikala & Jessica)
3. Metahaven — Can Jokes Bring Down Governments? (2012) (Haley & Giovanna)
WEEK 11—INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS (times / dates TBA)