The seminar
1917 is organizing a reading group on “The Sociopolitical Role of Art”, focusing on the relationship of art to society and art’s social function and task.Art has existed for a long time but but the question of society’s relation to art is unique in modernity. Adorno, in his 1932 essay “The Social Situation of Music,” analogized the position of modern art to that of critical social theory: The role of both was to provoke recognition. Adorno further warned that there could be no progress in art without that of society. Trotsky similarly argued that “Art, which is the most complex part of culture, the most sensitive and at the same time the least protected, suffers most from the decline and decay of bourgeois society.” In our increasingly dystopian present, there appears to be no social progress, and yet we continue to celebrate new artworks and consider art as alive and well. Is this the case? What is the relation of art to society, and in particular, to bourgeois society? What are the unique tasks of art in modernity, and in particular, in an epoch of capitalist crisis and decline? Our reading group will address these and other such questions from a Marxist perspective. We will read authors ranging from Marx to the Frankfurt School to contemporary critical theorists such as Michael Fried and T. J. Clark.
Ιt is important to note that a lot of reading material is only available in English.
Meetings
The meetings will be taking place every Wednesday starting from May 17th in Nicosia. The time will be chosen based on the preference of the participants. Τhe exact place will be decided soon and people that showed interest will be notified. The option of participating online will also be available.
Registration
Participation is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please register here preferably by Friday, May 12th.
Contact
For questions, write to us at contact@1917.com.cy or send a message to our facebook page.
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