In this conversation artist Jonas Staal, whose contribution to Issue 4 of A Blade of Grass Magazine offers a rationale for artists’ role in creating new models for radical democracy, will speak with Laura Raicovich, Interim Director of the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art. Staal’s reasoning underlies his New World Summit (2012-ongoing) and New World Academy (2013-16) projects, both of which are multi-year and multi-location events that allowed stateless/blacklisted groups to assemble publicly via an artwork-as-parliament. Out of this came long-term collaborations with the Rojava Revolution, in which Staal was invited to design one of their physical parliaments. The conversation will conclude with explorations of current projects, such as Training for the Future (2018-ongoing) and a legal campaign titled Collectivize Facebook (2020-ongoing). Rather than a return to normal, how might our current situation compel the creation of more inclusive institutions?
Editor’s note:
Deep Future: Building Lateral Institutions was initially part of a three-part discussion series developed in partnership with the New Museum. Following the first event, after conversations with New Museum leadership as well as with our community, and recognizing that this is not the right moment or context to proceed with the conversation series with the Museum, we canceled parts two and three. A Blade of Grass plans to independently host the guests previously invited to speak at a later date.
A Blade of Grass’ public programs are made available for free thanks to the generous funding of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; David Rockefeller Fund; SPArt; New York State Council on the Arts; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; the National Endowment for the Arts; and our beloved community of individual supporters.
