the Think Tank that has yet to be named

31 Readings on Art, Activism & Participation (in the Month of January): Think Tank Reader Vol. I

Posted by DIM on February 16, 2007

• Managing Directors:
  Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Neutrality & Palatability (DINP)
  Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Radical Pedagogy (DIRP)

This reader compiles several texts which discuss issues of activism and participation in contemporary art practices. As Directors in the Think Tank that has yet to be named, these issues are important to our understanding and development of our own art practices. During the month of January, we both read an article a day, making our way from one text to the next in an investigation of why we do what we do. We offer this reader as a resource for others who are interested in exploring these issues.

DOWNLOAD THE READER (PDF, 12.5M)
DOWNLOAD THE POSTER (PDF, 1.5M

We participate in the Academy, both as students and educators. We have some nagging questions: What is the state of (art) education today? How much does a college education cost? Who has access to it? Who doesn’t? Who controls it? What is being taught? How do the economic models that institutions rely on affect affect students, teachers, and critical inquiry? How are conventional pedagogical models beholden to notions of “careerism,” “expertise” and “specialization?” What is a college degree really worth?

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND COURSES AND WORKSHOPS IN ART PRACTICE AND THEORY AT A FREE OR LOW-COST UNIVERSITY IN PHILADELPHIA? OR, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING TO ESTABLISH OR TEACH AT SUCH A SCHOOL? IF SO, PLEASE CONTACT US.

KEYWORDS: pedagogy, projects, readers