Arts & Labor Informal Discussion: Thinking Through Collectivity

Arts & Labor is a working group founded in conjunction with the New York General Assembly for Occupy Wall Street. We are artists and interns, writers and educators, art handlers and designers, administrators, curators, assistants, and students. We are all art workers and members of the 99%. Arts & Labor is dedicated to exposing and rectifying economic inequalities and exploitative working conditions in our fields through direct action and educational initiatives. By forging coalitions, fighting for fair labor practices, and re-imagining the structures and institutions that frame our work, Arts & Labor aims to achieve parity for every member of the 99%

Arts & Labor Informal Discussion: Thinking Through Collectivity

When: Friday, December 16^th, 7:30-9PM

Where: H.E.N.S. (Hanns Eisler Nail Salon Gallery/Solidarity Center)

Southwest Corner of Bergen and 3^rd Avenue

Directions: H.E.N.S.  is located 3 blocks from the 2,3,4,5,B,Q,D,M,N,R stop at Atlantic/Pacific Ave. or 4 blocks from the A,C,G train to Hoyt/Schermerhorn. (It is a gallery with glass windows).

PLEASE JOIN ARTS & LABOR FOR AN OPEN, UNSTRUCTURED DISCUSSION at 7:30PM:

What are the challenges of maintaining one’s place in the “real world” vs. striving for the utopian goals of OWS? 

What are the challenges of maintaining the concerns of the singular/particularistic within the framework of the collective embodied in the GA model? 

How is curatorial practice implicated in perpetuating the 1%?

Is the notion of “singular authorship” incompatible with a notion of a politically engaged art activism?

What is the “turning point” at which an artist leaves their studio practice and makes activism their main focus? Is this a false dichotomy? Can studio practice ever be activism? Have we all reached that turning point?

Is it necessary to share our personal histories in order to effectively organize together? How do we define efficacity, and is that our highest goal?

OWS Temporality: because time moves so fast within the landscape of OWS, and within the space of a week an entirely new situation on the ground may transpire, how does this effect our process and thinking within OWS?

The above is but a provisional sampling. To see the full list of questions compiled by Arts and Labor Members, join our discussion list at ows-arts-and-labor@googlegroups.com!

After the informal discussion, join us for a potluck and Holiday Party from 9 to 12AM as we make banners and signs for D17!

Cam-vid by Jim Costanza