Monday (7-10 PM) (N51-117) Occasional meetings on Tuesday (7-10 PM) (N51-117)

The main thesis that I put forward in this article is that democratic theory needs to acknowledge the ineradicability of antagonism and the impossibility of achieving a fully inclusive rational consensus. I argue that a model of democracy in terms of ‘agonistic pluralism’ can help us to better envisage the main challenge facing democratic politics today: how to create democratic forms of identifications that will contribute to mobilize passions towards democratic designs.

–Chantal Mouffe, political philosopher

Testimony and truth-telling has both a private dimension—which is confessional and spiritual—and a public aspect, which is political and judicial.

–Inger Agger and Soren Jensen, trauma theorists and therapists

Developed in the context of recent events that bring into question the health and viability of democracy in the United States and abroad, this workshop will involve an examination of design as an interrogation and response to the nature of democracy, both theoretic and applied.

The political philosopher Chantal Mouffe calls for a "non deliberative", (not numbed or damned by modernistic utopian drive for "rational" consensus and compromised agreements), passionate, adversarial, pluralistic, in one world – agonistic form of democracy. In what ways and in what forms can the creative designer and artist respond to the present day critical and theoretical discourse in democracy? How can analytical and visionary designers practically contribute to the new philosophical, “radical-democratic" designs? How may critics of entrenched democratic practices state grievances rather than complaints?  How can designer and artist operate as an inspiring, provoking, and contributing force as a part this emergent democratic process? How can designer operate as an "agonistic, democratic agent"?

The struggle for recovery (from trauma) and the airing of grievances has a greater chance of success when performed publicly as a testimony, even more so when directed as a social utterance to and on behalf of others.  Janet termed this act ‘presentification.’  It further involves the risks and passions of parrhesia, the Athenian right, duty, and art of ‘free speaking’ and ‘outspokenness’ as a democratic ethic of the self.  Michel Foucault terms this ‘fearless Speech’ or more properly, ‘fearless speaking.’ This kind of ‘fearless speaking’ also demands an art of the public that allows for ‘fearless listening,’ so that a ‘fearless audience’ can in turn accede to a ‘fearless speaking’ of its own.  The intent of this workshop is to design the equipment to facilitate fearless speaking and listening.

This workshop proposes to promote the potentially therapeutic aspects of design connected to agonistic democracy through the psychological development and post-traumatic reconstruction of memory and its public articulation beyond a private testimony.  Ultimately, work can be conceived as a double therapy for both the speechless speaker and deaf listener and for a numbed and inoperative democracy.  Personal (observed and/or lived through) experience of injustice, neglect abuse and other wrongs and wrong doings, combined with one's own ethico-political ideas and concerns, supported by new reflections based on readings, presentations and discussions – may help to seek positive answer to such a challenge.

As in the past, this course will primarily be an experimental and experiential design laboratory. Monday class meetings will consist of discussions of guest lectures, reading assignments, and critical evaluations of ongoing student work. Tuesday’s meeting will be mainly devoted to development of student projects.  Readings and discussions will function as necessary critical and theoretical support to the development of original design proposals, working models and environments.  In cooperation with the new Center for Art, Culture, and Technology (formerly, the Center for Advanced Visual Studies,) the workshop will maintain contacts with other groups.  Collabotors and guest critics will include Nato Thompson (curator of Mass MoCA), Natalie Jeremijenko and the Bureau of Inverse Technology, and artists Pia Lindman and Michael Rakowitz.

Readings will include:

Trauma and Recovery, Judith Herman

Empire by  Michael Heart And Antonio Negri

Being Singular Plural, Jean-Luc Nancy

Civil Disobedience , Henry David Thoreau

Electronic Civil Disobedience, Critical Art Ensemble

Inner Experience, Georges Bataille

Society Must be Defended, Michel Foucault

Disagreement, Jaques Rancier

Readings from Situationist International

Cultural Geography, Don Mithell

On the advantage and disadvantage of history for life, Fredreich Neitzche

Nomadology, Deleuze and Guattari

On the Shores of Politics, Jaques Ranciere

Politics and the other scene, Etienne Balibar

Sites to Visit:

Interrogative Design Group

Interrogative Design Workshop – Past Classes

Mass MoCA

BIT

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