Sunday, October 22nd, at 10 am Pacific Time
Webinar Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86191639711
On the Meaning, Relevance, and Possibility of Posthuman Leisure for the Arts War is the originator of all things. We fight for money, recognition and power. Sometimes it is all about survival, sometimes it is about personally staying in history. In a world of constant struggle and change, to find time to reflect on the world, values, and beauty is an enormous privilege. It is primarily a useless activity. It is, however, of intrinsic importance. People value reflection on fundamental philosophical questions since no one knows with certainty what holds the world together at its core. It may well be the case that dealing with these reflections is helpful in the world of work. Primarily, thinking about the world, values, and beauty is a useless but intrinsically fulfilling activity. It is this activity that was called leisure in ancient times or otium in Latin. It was always considered an enormous privilege. Only the best, the aristocrats, had the financial or institutional power to devote themselves to leisure. To have time for leisure is an extraordinary privilege in a world of constant growth and the struggle of all against all. When we speak of leisure today, other activities are often identified with it: A beer with colleagues. Going bowling with friends. Playing games on the Xbox or PlayStation. However, none of these activities is leisure in the original ancient Greek sense. In this presentation, I reflect upon the meaning, and relevance for the arts, and the possibility of posthuman leisure.
Reading Link: https://deliberatio.uvt.ro/current-issue/