The emancipated spectator

An evening with Jacques Rancière, Mårten Spångberg and Steven ten Thije

De Appel arts centre and Octavo Publications warmly invite you to celebrate the launch of the Dutch translation of Le spectateur émancipé by Jacques Rancière, with an extended evening programme at De Balie with special guests Jacques Rancière, Mårten Spångberg and Steven ten Thije.

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In his book Le spectateur émancipé Jacques Rancière reveals how the idea that in our consumer culture audiences are bound to passively absorb art and culture, has led contemporary artists and theatre makers to a variety of attempts to activate their audiences. The spectator would thus become an 'emancipated' member of the cultural community. However, in the book Rancière brilliantly analyses this thesis and offers a radically different perspective on authorship.

At De Balie Jacques Rancière will discuss politics and engagement in the arts and the role of the spectator with choreographer Mårten Spångberg. The discussion is led by curator Steven ten Thije.

Jacques Rancière is one of today’s leading French philosophers. He has published on issues ranging from politics and the heritage of Marxism, history, literature, film and aesthetics. Rancière is an emeritus professor of philosophy at the Université Paris 8.

Mårten Spångberg is a choreographer living and working in Stockholm. His interests concern choreography in an expanded field, something that he has approached within an experimental practice. Since 1999 he has been creating his own choreographies, from solos to large scale works, which have toured the world. In 2004 he invited Rancière for a lecture on the spectator at the Sommerakademie in Frankfurt.

Steven ten Thije is research curator at the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven. He is also the project leader of ‘The Uses of Art - The Legacy of 1848 and 1989’, a long-term programme by the museum confederation L’Internationale. Ten Thije recently co-curated the exhibition ‘Confessions of the Imperfect, 1848 – 1989 – today’. Between 2009 and 2011 he was coordinator of The Autonomy Project. Within this capacity he organised, together with Nikos Papastergiadis and others, a symposium about and with Jacques Rancière in October 2011.

The Dutch translation of The emancipated spectator, titled De geëmancipeerde toeschouwer, is published by Octavo Publications and was realised with the support of de Appel arts centre. The book is translated by Joost Beerten en Walter van der Star.

An evening with Jacques Rancière, Mårten Spångberg and Steven ten Thije
Date: Wednesday, March 25, 8-10 pm
Location: De Balie Amsterdam
Language: English
Admission: €10,- regular / €7,50 student
Reservations via the website of De Balie

The programme at de Balie is realised with support from the Institut Francais.