Thanks to everyone who took part in this week’s discussion of Cortázar’s “Las babas del diablo” and Antonioni’s Blow-Up. It was both productive and fun, I felt. We touched on a lot of topics: representation, violence, gender, subjectivity, machines, objectification… Personally, I remain haunted by the movie’s final scene, the invisible tennis ball, the man lost in the park with his camera on the ground.
We also have two recent blog posts:
- From Ricardo, on Cortázar and Antonioni. His conclusion: “Si el arte tiene un lugar en la sociedad capitalista, no es sólo el de bombear agua fuera de la nave que se hunde, sino el de dejar de apuntar a las nubes para emprender la línea de fuga ya no hacia el cielo, sino hacia la inmensidad de la tierra.”
- From George, on Sztulwark and Mundo grúa. His question: “To what degree is Sztulwark’s redemptive reader-bricoleur, friend a venir (etc.) colored by the fantasy of disjunction and the reaction against neoliberal injunctions?”
Meanwhile, our conversation with Sztulwark is on YouTube.
And we are hoping to publish an edited version of that conversation. If you would like to help with the transcription and editing, please be in touch.
This week, we continue with the cycle of readings that will lead up to a visit from the Venezuelan photographer, Nelson Garrido. This cycle is organized by María Julieta Cordero. This is a series that deals with photography and the representation of violence, among other issues.
We have two readings, one primary, the other secondary or optional:
- Judith Butler, “Torture and the Ethics of Photography (Primary)
- Robert Appelbaum, “Notes on the Aesthetics of Violence” (Optional, if you have the time and/or inclination)
We will meet on Wednesday, August 12, from 4pm Pacific. If you only have time to read the story (or only have time to watch the film), that is of course fine.
All this will take place on Zoom, of course. Because it’s 2020. Please note that we have a new link for our meetings.
As always, however, feel free to join us later in the evening (from around 5:30pm onwards), without any expectation of having read the text or seen the movie, and drink in hand if you so wish, for a more social check in.
Also as always, please do feel free to invite others (whether they are in Vancouver or not) to join us. Virtual Koerner’s is fully in Phase Four of lockdown, and we are delighted to see our “bubble” continuing to expand. If anyone wants to be added to the list, they can be in touch with me.
And again, we very much welcome and invite suggestions of texts, speakers, discussion topics, and so on. We especially welcome a) texts written by VK participants (short texts can be posted to our blog), and b) suggestions for linked “cycles” of sessions that might, like María Julieta’s current cycle, include different kinds of texts on a common theme.
You will hear information about subsequent meetings very shortly.
We look forward to seeing you this week.
Take care, stay alert, don’t panic, wear a mask, be kind, keep calm, and carry on