Ever since there has been spectacle there have been those critical of it, who believe that it turns audiences into passive consumers who are unable to think for themselves. Plato famously illustrated this position in his Allegory of the Cave. Many artists and movements have sought to explode the spectacle in an attempt to rouse the audience from their somnambulistic trance, transforming them into more active participants in the world. We will look at several examples from art history, spanning from Heironymous Bosch's 1502 painting, The Conjurer, to contemporary art, investigating how as spectacle and media evolve over time, so does the critique and resistance. We'll also critique the critique; analyzing the ideology, tactics, and effectiveness of different works and movements.

WHEN: Wednesday September 7, 2016, 7:30pm
WHERE: RhizomeDC, 6950 Maple St NW DC
Cost: $5 suggested donation

About the presenter:
Ben Bennett is an artist currently residing in Philadelphia. His practice ranges from being a world-class improvising percussionist to filming himself sitting and smiling for four hour intervals on a regular basis. He will be in residency at Rhizome from September 1 - 10.