Symposium 'Untitled (Labour)' at Tate Britain Critiqued for Failing to Advance Discourse on Art and Immaterial Work
On 17 March 2012, Tate Britain held a half-day symposium called 'Untitled (Labour)', organized by UCL PhD candidate Lauren Rotenberg alongside her supervisor TJ Demos and Tate's Nora Razian. The gathering focused on the influence of contemporary art within the context of immaterial labor in capitalism, featuring contributions from various artists and scholars. However, some attendees criticized the event for not presenting fresh perspectives and reiterating established theories. Notable presentations included Pascal Gielen discussing art education in Norway and Holland, Stefano Harney addressing management and immaterial labor, and Hito Steyerl's critique of digital production. Claire Bishop explored the delegation of performance artists to non-professionals, while Stewart Martin examined the philosophical underpinnings of labor. The event's structure restricted in-depth analysis, and the organizers chose not to address the budget or economic aspects.
Key facts
- The symposium 'Untitled (Labour)' was held at Tate Britain, London on 17 March 2012.
- Organizers included Lauren Rotenberg, TJ Demos (University College London), and Nora Razian (Tate).
- The event aimed to interrogate immaterial labor's impact on contemporary art and its critique of capitalism.
- Key speakers were Pascal Gielen, Stefano Harney, Hito Steyerl, Claire Bishop, and Stewart Martin.
- Criticism focused on the symposium's failure to advance theory or address political implications of labor conditions.
- Hito Steyerl proposed artistic resistance strategies, citing the Guy Fawkes mask and Paida Larsen's work.
- Claire Bishop discussed delegation in performance art by Martin Creed, Elmgreen & Dragset, and Santiago Sierra.
- Organizers declined to reveal the event's budget or discuss Tate's complicity in precarious labor practices.
Entities
Artists
- Josefine Wikström
- Lauren Rotenberg
- TJ Demos
- Nora Razian
- Maurizio Lazzarato
- Michael Hardt
- Antonio Negri
- Paolo Virno
- John Roberts
- John Cunningham
- George Caffentzis
- Steve Wright
- Sergio Bologna
- Pascal Gielen
- Stefano Harney
- Hito Steyerl
- Paida Larsen
- Stewart Martin
- Claire Bishop
- Martin Creed
- Elmgreen & Dragset
- Santiago Sierra
- Éric Alliez
- Franco 'Bifo' Berardi
- Judith Revel
- Karl Marx
- Guy Fawkes
- Mario Tronti
- Sylvère Lotringer
- Christian Marazzi
- Julieta Aranda
- Anton Vidokle
- Brian Kuan Wood
- M. Sladen
Institutions
- Afterall
- Tate Britain
- University College London
- History of Art Department at University College London
- Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy
- Queen Mary, University of London
- University of Minnesota Press
- Semiotexte
- Radical Philosophy
- Mute
- October
- Sternberg Press
- Third Text
- University of Amsterdam
- Institute of Contemporary Arts
- Whitechapel Art Gallery
- Tate Modern
- BT
- Bloomberg
- Rupert Murdoch's newspaper empires
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Norway
- Holland
- Italy
- Minneapolis
- Los Angeles
- New York
- Berlin
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Californian desert
- Soviet Union
Sources
- Afterall —