Thomas Hirschhorn, Gramsci Monument, 2013. School Supplies Distribution by Forest Resident Association Forest Houses, Bronx, New York. Courtesy Dia Art Foundation.
Public Art and the Commons
Concept
Public art has emerged as a crucial issue over the past decade. In response to conditions of intensifying economic and political precarity, artists have renewed a dialogue on those social and cultural resources held in common, including media, education, language, the environment, and housing. The 2015 Wasserman Forum will examine this development with a keynote address and three panels of practitioners from the visual arts, critical theory, and political activism. Speakers will consider contemporary public art from multiple perspectives: its role in recent revolutionary contexts, including Turkey and Egypt; its intersection with digital culture; and its purpose in an era of privatization. Introductions: Paul Ha and Julie Burros.
Keynote speaker: Thomas Hirschhorn
Speakers: Erik Farmer, Yasmil Raymond, Jordan Troeller, Jasmina Metwaly and Philip Rizk, Hakan Topal, Henriette Huldisch, Jodi Dean, Daniel van der Velden, Gediminas Urbonas, Bill Arning, Lina Viste Grønli, Lawrence Weiner, and Alise Upitis