Lévy Kaufmann-Kohler’s Post

I'm in the middle of the fantastic seminar 'Playing the decolonial: Humor, art & tech', which started at 'Forsøgsstationen' in Copenhagen yesterday, and continues at ITU today. I loved how Britta initially stated that they had tried, but 'luckily not succeeded' to separate the artistic and more traditional academic contributions. The seminar raised so many important questions and discussions on the capacity of art, humour and play to open spaces for conversations, to disarm volatile, intimidating situations, to allow us to explore other possible worlds together across our differences. One thing that really stood out to me was my own affective experience, as I was repeatedly deeply moved by the courage and heart demonstrated by the people on stage. I was teary-eyed on several occasions, and my words were stumbling. In contrast to the widespread ideals of Western Modernity and the persistent belief in the rational, autonomous individual, these experiences pointed towards a different way of relating and becoming that I have been slowly, reluctantly starting to embrace. I now believe that if we always approach each other as rational, independent beings, and expect others to do the same, we perpetuate colonial structures. Letting go of that control, allowing ourselves to be deeply affected and even transformed by encounters with both humans and more-than-humans might be one small step towards more pluralistic democratic conversations and a more diverse world respectful of a multitude of becomings. This seminar is another reminder that decolonising is a task for us all, everyday, as we strive to make other worlds possible, to cultivate a 'pluriverse' where other ways of knowing, being and becoming are nourished and appreciated. A huge thank you to Britta Timm Knudsen and Miguel Sicart for organising this wonderful event; so far, one of the best things I have attended in a long time. Now I should get going for the second day! https://lnkd.in/gHGuv5_X

"The Venice Biennale, when looked at from the global expansion of the biennial circuit and large-scale international exhibitions, remains, even today, one of the most powerful exhibition machines in the world. It ranks among the most visible in a speculative programme of capitalist and neo-colonial construction, structured on racism, patriarchy and extractivism, whose neo-liberal governance we have long denounced (without, however, questioning its hegemony). In this particular political conjuncture, of authoritarian and neo-fascist drift, artistic director Adriano Pedrosa significantly chooses to title the 60th edition Foreigners Everywhere. Jonas Tinius's analysis is not just a review, but a critical examination that inserts itself into the international debate from both an anthropological and a curatorial perspective, in order to unravel the rhetoric built around the mechanisms - opposing and complementary - of inclusion and otherness. With this first text, the Dirty Cube section intends to open a space for an aesthetic-political critique of contemporary forms of capitalist social reproduction. All the more urgent in this moment of profound crisis of the political constitution of the present." https://lnkd.in/e46ETjua

I love this paper by Joost Vervoort et al that identifies 9 dimensions of transformation, and start those with embodying. I feel this is such a missing link in many institutions, where transformation often seems like a theoretical, rather than a practical, personal and emotional challenge. I know I have a lot of people in my network here that are working on transformation in some way or other. Which of these 9 dimensions do you work on (most)? I work most on imagining (meanings), inspiring (connections) and co-creating-subverting (power), and would love to do more in terms of embodying (also meanings). How about you?

Sharing this amazing research, sharp and generous analysis, and useful fraemwork: 9 Dimensions for evaluating how art and creative practice stimulate societal transformations. Thanks Ruth Catlow for forwarding.

Curious to reflect upon your own cosmology of care? Join us for the online #IIABTALK on the 19th of June at 15:00. The topic we explore is "No Human is an Island: Shifting from 'Me' to 'We'". This conversation will bring together creative and innovative minds to explore perspectives on human centricity and the inherently social nature of the human experience. Sounds exciting? Sign up here and let's explore together: https://lnkd.in/gzUMNpBr!

📚 #NodeRecommendation: "The Constituent Museum. Constellations of Knowledge, Politics and Mediation: A Generator of Social Change" edited by ohn Byrne, Elinor Morgan, November Paynter, Aida Sánchez de Serdio, Adela Železnik. This book explores what would happen if museums placed relationships at the core of their operations, offering a critical and experimental analysis of education, mediation, and interpretation within museums. Rather than viewing visitors as passive recipients, the publication sees them as active participants, sparking facilitation, provocation, and inspiration. It situates these practices within the socio-political and organizational contexts, aiming for an integral, interdisciplinary understanding. Key topics include ownership, power dynamics, collective pedagogy, co-curation, digital engagement, collaboration, and the role of archives, addressing broader societal issues such as precarity and the value of co-labor. Published by Valiz #ArtBooks #InstitutionalCritique #SocialArt #ArtMuseum #TheConstitutentMuseum #ArtEducation #ArtMediation #ArtTheory

This reminds me of the early modern tracking numbers in my upcoming book.

Over the past few days, my colleagues and I at the International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) have been reflecting on the power of data for policy making. After the successful launch of the country studies What Difference Do Cooperatives Make in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras last week, we are now focused on bridging the gap between theory and action. We are exploring how these findings can make a difference at the national level, and more importantly, how they can change people’s lives, like Celenia from Honduras. Here is her story: https://lnkd.in/eqUEJBJ6

It's wonderful to see this new framework for evaluating creative practice within the context of societal transformation, and to trace the roots back to the 'looking back and looking forward' values-centred evaluation workshop that I ran with FURTHERFIELD.ORG in 2021. I wish I'd discovered this paper six weeks ago, so I could have included it in the set of frameworks that I presented to third-year #EncounteringEcosystems students as possible templates for their #MetaLearningMaps. In the Encountering Ecosystems module, students explored a wide range of data collection methods - both qualitative and quantitative - as ways of engaging more deeply with local habitats and the species that live there. Their final assessment was to submit a creative product for exhibition in our onsite gallery, accompanied by a text for the exhibition catalogue. (If you're curious to see what they produced, the exhibition starts on 22nd April at our East London campus, and free tickets for the private view can be booked here: https://lnkd.in/dn9FHgeC). We also asked them to provide a meta-learning map - a visual reflection of their learning on the module, based on a specified framework of concepts and/or competencies. We gave them a variety of different templates to choose from - including the #InnerDevelopmentGoals, The Social Change Agency's infographic on 'Characteristics of a Systems Thinker' (thanks Joss Colchester for flagging that one), the beautiful 'Capabilities for Wayfinders' framework recently shared on LinkedIn by Sahana Chattopadhyay, and The RSA (The royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) 'Principles of Regenerative Design' by Josie Warden, among others. This paper is especially exciting because, like the module itself, it targets the interface between creative practice and learning for eco-social transformation. I've already added it to the resource list for next year, and look forward to seeing some students using it as a starting point for their reflections!