Resisting Cynicism, Assuming Ambiguity
(2022) The Nordic Society for Aesthetics Conference- Abstract
- We live in a time where capitalism has long since eliminated any notion of alternative systems from our imaginaries, so that it “occupies the horizon of the thinkable” (Fisher 2009). At the same time, we have seen a (re)turn to positivism and acceptance of the neoliberal system in academia, even in the humanities and studies of art (Grønstad 2020, Poenar 2018). The rejection of the political project of the 1960s and 1970s has also led to a rejection of critical theory, and even theory as such (Poenar 2018). Since the dominant mood is one of cynicism and fear, there is little room for exploration and bold thinking, such that we get art characterized by conformity (Fisher 2009), disembodiment (Sobchack 2004) and transparency (Grønstad 2020).... (More)
- We live in a time where capitalism has long since eliminated any notion of alternative systems from our imaginaries, so that it “occupies the horizon of the thinkable” (Fisher 2009). At the same time, we have seen a (re)turn to positivism and acceptance of the neoliberal system in academia, even in the humanities and studies of art (Grønstad 2020, Poenar 2018). The rejection of the political project of the 1960s and 1970s has also led to a rejection of critical theory, and even theory as such (Poenar 2018). Since the dominant mood is one of cynicism and fear, there is little room for exploration and bold thinking, such that we get art characterized by conformity (Fisher 2009), disembodiment (Sobchack 2004) and transparency (Grønstad 2020). Worst of all, art can be said to have lost its “ability of resistance” (Poenar 2018).
In order to resist the passivity of cynicism, we thus need to think the relationship between aesthetics, politics and ethics anew. After all, the question of how to do art is related to how one does theory, and post-theory is long past its expiration date. In my PhD project I suggest that the political phenomenology of Simone de Beauvoir (2011, 2018 among others) might give us some conceptual tools for resistance; if we follow her lead in assuming ambiguity, it means that we embrace the tension and the thickness of the world instead of shying away from it. With my paper I will explore some ways in which ambiguity might allow us to see new connections between film art and politics, in the way that they are ambiguously connected in their thick situatedness. Foregrounding tension, restlessness and the imperfect, I contend that what is needed is approaches that allow for the messy entanglements of the concretely singular and the politically situated.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/856e958b-dcfa-4d96-b21e-2a8446d5f156
- author
- Svane, Anette LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- unpublished
- subject
- conference name
- The Nordic Society for Aesthetics Conference
- conference location
- Stockholm
- conference dates
- 2022-06-08 - 2022-06-10
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 856e958b-dcfa-4d96-b21e-2a8446d5f156
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-27 12:40:02
- date last changed
- 2025-04-14 11:29:24
@misc{856e958b-dcfa-4d96-b21e-2a8446d5f156,
abstract = {{We live in a time where capitalism has long since eliminated any notion of alternative systems from our imaginaries, so that it “occupies the horizon of the thinkable” (Fisher 2009). At the same time, we have seen a (re)turn to positivism and acceptance of the neoliberal system in academia, even in the humanities and studies of art (Grønstad 2020, Poenar 2018). The rejection of the political project of the 1960s and 1970s has also led to a rejection of critical theory, and even theory as such (Poenar 2018). Since the dominant mood is one of cynicism and fear, there is little room for exploration and bold thinking, such that we get art characterized by conformity (Fisher 2009), disembodiment (Sobchack 2004) and transparency (Grønstad 2020). Worst of all, art can be said to have lost its “ability of resistance” (Poenar 2018).<br/><br/>In order to resist the passivity of cynicism, we thus need to think the relationship between aesthetics, politics and ethics anew. After all, the question of how to do art is related to how one does theory, and post-theory is long past its expiration date. In my PhD project I suggest that the political phenomenology of Simone de Beauvoir (2011, 2018 among others) might give us some conceptual tools for resistance; if we follow her lead in assuming ambiguity, it means that we embrace the tension and the thickness of the world instead of shying away from it. With my paper I will explore some ways in which ambiguity might allow us to see new connections between film art and politics, in the way that they are ambiguously connected in their thick situatedness. Foregrounding tension, restlessness and the imperfect, I contend that what is needed is approaches that allow for the messy entanglements of the concretely singular and the politically situated.<br/>}},
author = {{Svane, Anette}},
language = {{eng}},
title = {{Resisting Cynicism, Assuming Ambiguity}},
year = {{2022}},
}