Afterall Journal Issue 33 Foreword: Political Friendship and Art
The foreword to Afterall Journal Issue 33, written by Stephanie Smith, uses Danielle Allen's book 'Talking to Strangers' to frame the issue's themes. Allen's analysis of a 1957 photograph of Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan during the Little Rock desegregation crisis illustrates how images can provoke civic transformation. The issue explores the institutionalization of performance, featuring texts on choreographer Xavier Le Roy, lecture-performances, and re-creations of 1970s feminist works. It also covers Mark Leckey's performative lectures, Maeve Connolly's examination of television and screens, Josef Dabernig's absurd films, Simryn Gill's poetic works, and Valentín Roma's essay on the 'Desacuerdos' project in Spain. Smith argues for cultivating 'aesthetic friendship' as a corollary to political friendship, positioning Afterall as a platform for debate across differences.
Key facts
- Foreword written by Stephanie Smith for Afterall Journal Issue 33, published 20 May 2013.
- References Danielle Allen's book 'Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship Since Brown v. Board of Education' (2006).
- Discusses a 1957 photograph by Will Counts of Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Bryan during Little Rock desegregation.
- Issue focuses on institutionalization of performance, including Xavier Le Roy's choreography.
- Includes essays on lecture-performances, feminist performance re-creations, Mark Leckey, Maeve Connolly, Josef Dabernig, Simryn Gill, and Valentín Roma on 'Desacuerdos'.
- Afterall is based in Antwerp, Chicago, London, and Seville.
- Smith calls for 'aesthetic friendship' and debate across disagreement.
Entities
Artists
- Stephanie Smith
- Danielle Allen
- Elizabeth Eckford
- Hazel Bryan
- Will Counts
- Xavier Le Roy
- Mark Leckey
- Maeve Connolly
- Josef Dabernig
- Simryn Gill
- Valentín Roma
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Institutions
- Afterall
- University of Chicago Press
- The Associated Press
- The New York Times
- US Supreme Court
Locations
- Chicago
- United States
- Little Rock
- Arkansas
- Antwerp
- London
- Seville
- Spain
Sources
- Afterall —