Reading Group Ethnicity as Counterculture

“I want to hold up counterculture not as utopia but simply another mode of relations, just like all the other problematic ones, think of counterculture as another way of social being, one in which race functions neither as a wound nor as a badge of diversity. In this formulation, perhaps anarchist and romantic, the counterculture sees race not as a lens through which one critiques the centre but as a site where you may create your own work virtuously unseen by that centre” – Ethnicity as Counterculture

Join us for our first iniva x The Reading Society Together as we start with a reading of Ken Chen’s Ethnicity as Counterculture. An essay taken from ‘As Radical, As Mother, As Salad, As Shelter: What Should Art Institutions Do Now?’ (2018). A collection of essays and interviews that looks at the role of political activism in the art institution, Chen’s essay considers how ethnic art spaces, projects and happenings can function as countercultures or bohemian alternative publics.

Faciliator

The Laundry Arts is a creative platform + studio engaging with the curious, visionary and creatively courageous. Their work is purpose-led, insightful and challenging. They are a growing network of creators and thinkers, leading in their fields, kicking down doors and refusing to be unseen. They curate exhibitions, produce installations, self-publish and collaborate with cultural organisations and brands in the production of experiential content, from dinners to parties and discussions.