Afterall Journal Issue 17 Foreword: May '68 Legacy and Contemporary Art

The foreword to Afterall Journal Issue 17, written by Pablo Lafuente and Melissa Gronlund, reflects on the fortieth anniversary of May '68, a period of social movements in France, Europe, the US, and South America. The authors argue that May '68 was not merely a youth revolt but a convergence of students and workers questioning social order. They highlight its responsive character to events like the Vietnam War and the Algerian war, and its belief in blurring social distinctions. The issue features artists and topics engaging with May '68's legacy, including Marta Kuzma on sexual liberation, Annie Fletcher on feminist art practice, and reconsiderations of works by Michael Asher and Öyvind Fahlström. The authors contrast the political urgency of the late 1960s with contemporary art's focus on aesthetic concerns and individual expression, questioning how current artistic positions can pursue the ideal of radical equality. They cite films like Jacques Villemont's La Reprise du travail aux usines Wonder and Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool as examples of politically engaged filmmaking.