Night School is an artist commission in the form of a temporary school. For this project, artist Anton Vidokle is organizing a yearlong program of monthly seminars and workshops that use the New Museum as a site to shape a critically engaged public through art discourse. Night School is comprised of eleven seminars organized around three thematic tracks. The program begins with three series of seminars, workshops and film/video screenings conducted by Boris Groys, Martha Rosler and Liam Gillick that examines progressive cultural practices. During the spring and summer months, the focus of the program turns to artistic agency today, and includes seminars with Walid Raad & Jalal Toufic, Paul Chan, Maria Lind and Owkui Enwezor. The fall program considers self-organization in the field of cultural production, presenting seminars and workshops with Rirkrit Tiravanija, Zhang Wei and Hu Fang, Natascha Sadr Haghighian and Raqs Media Collective. All topics will be addressed from the perspective of ongoing research and production, and as such will constitute the core structure of the school. Lectures, screenings, and conversations will take place in the New Museum theater, the 5th Floor Museum as Hub space, and informal locations throughout the local neighborhood. Night School takes place on the last weekend (Thursday-Sunday) of each month, January 2008 through
January 2009.*
In the tradition of free universities, many of Night School’s events are open to all those interested to take part. A core group of 25 participants will be selected by application, to participate in additional private workshops and discussions, and will be offered complimentary New Museum membership for one year. The Night School is now accepting applications from cultural producers including visual artists, architects, writers, filmmakers, journalists, curators, composers, performers, and others who can commit to participating in the full program throughout the year. Accepted participants will be expected to attend all monthly seminars and be present in New York for the duration of the project.
Night School is the second in a series of art projects organized around a temporary school
format and initiated by Anton Vidokle. Vidokle initiated research into education as site for artistic practice for Manifesta 6, which was cancelled. In response to the cancellation, Vidokle set up an independent project in Berlin called Unitednationsplaza–a twelve-month project involving more than a hundred artists, writers, philosophers, and diverse audiences. Located behind a supermarket in East Berlin, UNP’s program featured numerous seminars, lectures, screenings, book presentations and projects including the Martha Rosler Library.
Founded in 1977, the New Museum is the first and only contemporary art museum in New York City and among the most respected internationally, with a curatorial program unrivaled in the United States in its global scope and adventurousness. With the inauguration of the Museum’s new, state-of-the-art building at 235 Bowery on December 1, 2007, the New Museum will be the destination for new art and new ideas.
* Please note, all programs subject to change without notice.
APPLICATION
First name:
Last name:
Street address:
City: State:
Postcode (Zip code): Country:
Phone number: E-mail:
Date of birth: Place of birth:
Citizenship: Male/Female
1. Please provide a brief biography of yourself. 200 words maximum.
2. Please explain your interest in participating in Night School. 400 words maximum.
3. You may send additional information that you feel is relevant to representing yourself for the purposes of this application. Two pages maximum. Do not send resumés or letters of recommendation.
Submit complete applications to [email protected] no later than December 15,
2007. You may also mail complete applications to:
New Museum
Attn: Night School
235 Bowery
New York, NY 10002 USA
Selected applicants will be notified by email no later than January 11, 2008.
No calls please. Applications exceeding maximum text and page limits stated above will not be considered. Please note, all programs subject to change.
