Rosi Braidotti: Faces, Territory, Resistance

In this lecture I want to defend the political importance of cultural action and of socio-cultural activism, taking as model the Pussy Riot project. My argument rests on two inter-twined notions: the first is a long and distinguished tradition of feminist musical  bands and the second a sophisticated use of visual politics. In a system that, in spite of massive counter-evidence in terms of structural injustices, ruthless opportunism and brutal violence, insists on calling itself ‘advanced’ capitalism, feminist cultural activism has a crucial contribution to make. Feminist analyses of power not only debunk any notion of the ‘natural roots’ of capitalism as embedded in something they call ‘human nature’ and more specifically the gendered and sexed aspects of political oppression.  Molecular, grass-roots movements  also target for criticism our own singular and collective implication in the very structures and conditions we are trying to criticize and change. On the assumption that the micro-politics of domination involves the construction of our desires, I will argue that politics has to do with the inscription of bodies into webs of complex and internally contradictory power relations.  A crucial element of their effectiveness is the powers of visualization, recognition and re-presentation, which they can mobilize and master.  

Rosi Braidotti Website

Picture: With special thanks to the photographer Denis Sinyakov

Konzept: Markus Klammer, Cosetta Veronese

Referierende: Rosi Braidotti

eikones NFS Bildkritik, Rheinsprung 11, CH - 4051 Basel