School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 112 S. Michigan Ave.

The Platypus Affiliated Society is proud to announce its second annual international convention, What is Left, and where to begin? Platypus has organized four days of activities. Starting on Wednesday May 26th with a film screening at University of Chicago’s Woodlawn Collaborative and Thursday with theater and poetry performances at Decima Musa in Pilsen. On Friday May 28th, the Platypus Affiliated Society will convene for the panel discussion on The Question of Imperialism in the 20th Century at School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). On Saturday May 29th, Platypus will host a selective series of workshops and panel discussions at SAIC (112 S. Michigan Ave.)  Activities will focus on political and cultural issues that have shaped the Left historically and today. Sunday May 30th, Platypus members will be leading a series of talks on The Platypus Experience: Perspectives from three generations and The origins of today’s Left in the 1970s New Left. Saturday and Sunday spaces are limited and require registration. Click here to register.

NOTE: If you would like to attend the convention and live in the NYC area, please contact us at newyork@platypus1917.org to arrange transportation with us. We will be finalizing all transportation arrangements by Wednesday, May 26th.

ATTENTION, LOCATION CHANGE: Tisch Hall, 40 W. 4th St. (4th and Mercer, on the South side of the street) Lower Level 2, Room. LC11.

A teach-in on labor, human rights and prospects for a Left in Iran with Ervand Abrahamian

The Platypus Affiliated Society, in collaboration with United for Iran, Amnesty International and the Network of Iranian Unions (NILU) has organized a teach-in on Iran for May 2nd, from 1-5pm at the Tisch Hall, 40 W. 4th St. (4th and Mercer, on the South side of the street) Lower Level 2, Room LC11. The keynote speaker for the evening  will be historian on Iran and outspoken voice on the recent events, CUNY professor Ervand Abrahamian. The day will consist of an opening informational (1-2pm) panel, a workshop (2-3pm), a break with refreshments provided (3-3:30pm) and the keynote address with Ervand Abrahamian followed by an audience Q&A (3:30-5pm).

We would like to raise questions about the direction of the Green movement in Iran, with an especial, though not exclusive, focus on labor organization in Iran, the role it's playing and what it may achieve in the future. This teach-in will produce political discussion around these questions and inform students, faculty, and the public at large of the ongoing events in Iran. We would like to brainstorm (during the workshop especially) what kind of political response would further possibilities in our time for a progressive leftist movement.

Please register for this free event at (we need a count for refreshments): http://iran.platypus1917.org/
Facebook Invite: Iran Teach-in with Ervand Abrahamian

This event was organized by the platypus affiliated society with the help of united for iran, amnesty international and the network of iranian labor unions (NILU).

http://newyork.platypus1917.org/

http://united4iran.org/

http://www.amnesty.org/

http://iranlaborreport.com/

Monday
25 april7:00 pm

NYU
Kimmel center, room 908
(60 washington square south)

The term 'autonomy' has crept into the lexicon of contemporary art discourse for reasons that are not self-evident. But there is a curious lack of historical consciousness. The aesthetic, social, and political implications of autonomy continue to haunt us, but, perhaps, only as farce. For the once restless non-identity between art and politics that Leon Trotsky and Theodor Adorno attempted to register seems to have become one or another false reconciliation. This discussion will attempt to lay a groundwork for comprehending autonomy from a historical perspective. And thus it asks: Is art still a form of self-consciousness? Can it be so without the Left, whose historical mission was to bring the modern world to self-consciousness through overcoming capitalism?

Led by Bret Schneider, editor of 491 and assistant editor of the Platypus Review.

In an age of global capitalism, "progressive" art is generally conceived of as a political form of resistance to capitalism's all-encompassing presence and commodification of culture. Taking the form of public stunts, political pranks, "dematerialized" experiences, and community engagements, many works seek to rupture the texture of our everyday lives and offer alternative models for politics and society. But given that, in our current moment, the Left has little to no capacity to shape our social and political direction, the merits and effectiveness of art as a form of resistance must be thrown into question. Can art really have a stake in making political change? If so, has contemporary art been at all successful in doing so? How must art's relationship to politics be understood, and what must be rethought in light of our present? Bringing together practicing artists and critical theorists, this panel raises these questions in order to increase the potential to shape our socio-political and artistic future.

Coco Fusco (Artist, Writer and Associate Prof. at Parsons )
Andrea Geyer (Artist and Professor at Parsons)
Jim Miller (Chair of Lib. Stu. and Professor of Poli. Sci. at the NSSR)
Haseeb Ahmed (Platypus Affiliated Society)
moderated by Chris Mansour (Platypus)

Event Sponsored By:
The Platypus Affiliated Society
NSSR Philosophy Department
NSSR Liberal Studies Department
NSSR Department of Politics
NSGS Media Studies Department
Parsons Fine Arts Department

If you have any questions, please contact Chris Mansour at chris.d.mansour@gmail.com

Dear Platypi,

Please join us on the weekend of March 19th at the 2010 Left Forum. Platypus members from Toronto, Chicago, Boston along with New York City members will be there both presenting and chairing these panels.  Below are a list of Platypus organized panels along with their respective line-ups and time slots.