sign in sign up
<<
Home , Conceptual art, Process art, Translation

INTRODUCTION

UnTranslaTing The neo-aVanT-garDes luke skrebowski

This guest-edited issue aims to trouble assumptions about the trans- latability of various global neo-avant-gardes into canonical Anglo- American terms and categories—including Pop, , Conceptualism—however problematized and expanded they may be in the process. The assumptions I have in mind tend to prop up the cul- tural hegemony of Western institutions by means of a logic of inclusion that serves to reinforce rather than destabilize the status quo. To this end, this issue foregrounds the problem of , and specifi cally the fi gure of “the untranslatable,” to address the mediation of global neo-avant-gardes in a more refl exive way, going beyond the often nebu- lous and frequently one-sided notions of “infl uence,” “interaction,” or “contact” that continue to characterize much of the discourse on the global neo-avant-gardes. The notion of the untranslatable is borrowed from Barbara Cassin, via Emily Apter and Jacques Lezra, and is developed here for comparative work in, but also in a certain sense against, global his- tory. Cassin’s multilingual philosophical Vocabulaire européen des philosophies: Dictionnaire des intraduisibles (2004) consists of a select number of terms drawn from particular national and linguistic philosophical traditions which are chosen precisely for their “untrans- latability,” a term that, as Cassin insists, “n’implique nullement que les termes en question . . . ne soient pas traduits et ne puissent pas

4 © 2018 ARTMargins and the Massachusetts Institute of doi:10.1162/ARTM_e_00206

Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on 26 September 2021 Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021 A Genealogy for the Ends of Global Thought Global of Ends the for Genealogy A of of Apter’s Emily ties”:namely, in humani “translational a about speculation for wider as well as ture, litera comparative work in their in problem ofuntranslatability upthe Lexicon Philosophical A Untranslatables: of ofCassin’s version volume— English- ofthe editors ofthe two by demonstrated been has work more as widely, ­comparative traduire.” (“In no way implies that the terms in question in terms the that implies way no (“In traduire.” (nepas) de c’est qu’on ce plutôt pas cesse ne l’être—l’intraduisible 3 2 1 across . across and between work comparative genealogical, patient, of means by untranslatable the translating of necessity political and ethical, intellectual, the and possibility the both on insists terms theoretical particular of ­singularity Dictionnaire des intraduisibles des Dictionnaire Lezra have employed untranslatability as a figure of resistance against against of resistance figure a as untranslatability employed have Lezra keeps on (not)translating.”). on keeps one what rather is untranslatable the translated: be cannot and not (London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). &Littlefield, Rowman (London: Thought Global of Ends the for AGenealogy Machines: Untranslating Lezra, Jacques 2013); Verso, (London: Untranslatability of Politics the On : World Against Apter, Emily 2014); Press, University Princeton NJ: (Princeton, Lexicon APhilosophical Untranslatables: of Dictionary eds., trans. Wood, Michael and Lezra, Jacques Apter, Emily ed., Cassin, Barbara project. European postwar fragile anow bolster to amove of part as avowed is Vocabulaire the of Eurocentrism the that however, noted, be It should languages.” future other for space “leave to order in title the from “European” term the drops translation her and Apter, by noted is Vocabulaire the of “Eurocentrism” The languages. European major the on focuses text Cassin’s 5. 1985), Press, Parousia UK: (Coventry, Bernasconi Robert and Wood David ed. Différance and Derrida in Friend,” aJapanese to “Letter Derrida, Jacques beautiful.” more be will which other the of a“ in resulting potentially language, another in method philosophical his undertaking for potential creative the on insists philosopher the where Friend,” aJapanese to “Letter celebrated Derrida’s to conclusion the from inspiration take to seen be can this in and (un)translation, terms’ philosophical particular from result that meanings emergent the remarking of way by this tracks Vocabulaire The ability. untranslat to proper also is that movement constitutive and creative the in invested larly particu however, is, the of treatment Cassin’s another. to language one from over meaning stilled any carrying of impossibility the thus and language, any in ­meaning férance dif figures untranslatability (wherein translatability of concept the of influential Derrida’s to indebted is translating” (not) on “one keeps which that as ability untranslat of notion This xvii. 2004), Seuil, (Paris: intraduisibles des Dictionnaire phies: philoso des européen Vocabulaire ed., Cassin, Barbara in “Présentation” Cassin, Barbara As such, the the such, As , and vice versa), with its foundational insistence on the inability to stabilize stabilize to inability the on insistence foundational its with versa), vice , and Vocabulaire 2 (2013) Jacques Lezra’s and 1 constitutes a powerful stimulus for stimulus powerful a constitutes is its commitment to the the to commitment its is What is particularly notable about the the about notable particularly is What Against : On the Politics Politics the On Literature: World Against , while at the same time it time same the at while , , of re-rendering a singularity singularity a re-rendering of , (2017). Untranslating Machines: Machines: Untranslating 3 Both Apter and and Apter Both (2014)—who took took (2014)—who ontological ontological

.

.

. have have .

------,

5 skrebowski | untranslating the neo-avant-gardes Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021

6 artmargins 7:2 6 5 what follows. Park’s work also references the infinite hexagonal rooms hexagonal what Park’s follows. infinite references work the also in at are stake that of translation senses linguistic and spatial the both explore to texts of folded use mirror-reflected and makes Hexagonal,” 4 another.” into from one language turn of “to sense literary and but no earlier, linguistic well-known, more its in as to another” or condition or convey bear from one“to place categories). oftion these negatively, nega if even of way by their neo-avant-gardes, for the stake at much very remaining form and style (with or form style of agiven and shared nonverbal specific the order to register tendency, in artistic of agiven “language” of the metaphorically purely not speak one might that fact despite the case the is This outset. at the acknowledged be must nature in linguistic principally or even strictly not writing—are of art still-developing the and art Conceptual analytic works most of art—notwithstanding that fact tory, evident the his to art untranslatability transposing In practice. of artistic cussion dis the into literature comparative over and from philosophy brought be should to consider problematic of how translation the It necessary is Transla paradigm.” global hegemonic a without cartography intellectual “a wide-span ofconducting means a as out, points Apter as also, and substitutability and equivalence ofcultural notions the translation within architectural practice has convincingly shown. convincingly has practice architectural within translation work notion of on the Akcan’s pioneering Esra as translation, spatial of question the in for art at are stake issues profoundand intellectual other—real of the quently, read ametaphorization be as one cannot English—conse in coeval are term of the meanings distinct two the D’Souza (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2014), 145–59, emphasis added. emphasis 145–59, 2014), Press, Yale University CT: Haven, (New D’Souza Turn Global the of Wake the in History Art in Translation,” of Items and “Channels Akcan, Esra media”: spatial and visual to applicable metaphor tual aconcep as translation lingual “treating in remains investment principal her translation, spatial of question the considers Akcan while Nevertheless, 2012). Press, University Duke NC: (Durham, Modern the and Turkey, Germany, Translation: in Architecture Akcan, Esra in found be to is issue this of exploration fullest Akcan’s language. beyond translation of question the and translation of aspects spatial the thematizes work Akcan’s Oxford English Dictionary English Oxford the of edition second the to according 1300, from date Both Against World Literature World Against Apter, Joo Yeon Park’s project for this issue, entitled “Fold entitled issue, for project this Joo Yeon Park’s artist Here, then, artistic translation is presented as much in its sense of sense its in much as presented is translation artistic Here, then, t ing t ing he Un he t ransla , 31. 5 Above and beyond the sense in which which in sense beyond the and Above t able , ed. Jill H. Casid and Aruna Aruna and Casid H. Jill , ed. 4 6 - . - - - - Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021 vs. Nouveau Réalisme vs. Kapitalistischer Realismus vs. Pop vs. . .) need Realismus Kapitalistischer vs. Nouveauvs. Réalisme (e.g., Neorealismo contexts linguistic and geographic diverse in nated origi that categories “untranslatable” various that argue issue this in Pop, Pop, collected Japanese Argentine Pop,Brazilian . .), articles the movement of a“canonical” (e.g., worldterms the the into from around ized neo-avant-garde discourse. neo-avant-garde ized global the 1970s, have1960s and gone whose categories on to define world of the art York–centric New narrowly of the “reactionarism” the as what he decried against art conceptionerogeneous of apost-national aprogressive, het Oiticica’s work practice. constructs artist’s ofter the charac material the into through carries hybridity Such avant-gardes. international and Brazilian the both with engagements sustained his out of vocabulary technical distinctive highly own his develops Oiticica way, this In French. and Portuguese, of English, languages colonial the “creolizes” grammar, nonstandard and ,manteau symbols, port replete with being as well as neologistic, highly and linguistic pluri- is which writing, “untranslatable” Oiticica’s distinctively time. first for issue the this in published is Transformation,”New which a toward Pointing Senses “The article unpublished previously them. alongside travels that discourse of the latability untrans linguistic the and territory”) of the function “the as Buren, ing extend from and borrowing encapsulate, what we might (exemplifying originated they which in from those domains move different into tices prac and objects when artistic at stake untranslatability spatial the both on focuses issue frequently, . to its special Consequently, this notcomprehension to its only but also, fundamental are work that the underlying theories conceptsand the explaining texts other and ments state of artist’s form the supplements, in voluble by nied linguistic accompa often is acomprehensible possesses “language”) nonetheless (which “mute,” work the of art that neo-avant-garde we acknowledge languages. as we up between movethat opens space linguistic thefaceted figure to away as of Babel Library Jorge by his Borges in Luis imagined 7 and reactionarism going on, unbelievable.” Letter to Guy Brett, March 6, 1971. 6, March Brett, Guy to Letter unbelievable.” on, going reactionarism and conformity scene, art abourgeois such is there but here, on going is what don’t know “I Rather than translating diverse neo-avant-garde artistic tendencies tendencies artistic neo-avant-garde diverse translating than Rather In this respect, the issue takes inspiration from Hélio Oiticica’s from Hélio inspiration takes issue the respect, this In when still more and challenging become more interesting Things 7 ------

7 skrebowski | untranslating the neo-avant-gardes Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021

8 artmargins 7:2 sessions,” in which the relationship between the and the the and work of the art between relationship sessions,” the which in New York’sLanguage “struggle & Art was outplayed the which against backdrop scene. The art neo-avant-garde downtown, city’s from the York New other with and &Language Art with tion York, Popovi´c York in New (1976) collabora in Struggle film the made ‘second from the outsiders world’.” “wide-eyed New in nated, While were domi Yugoslav the artists notion that any refusing terms, equal Jasna Tijardovi´c, on York New undertaken was &Language Art and Popovi´c, Zoran a US-Yugoslav between conducted dialogue wife his that York” New in maintains Belgrade in Struggle Maladaptive: of the of Jakovljevi´c’s power, Branislav quization Wilderness Howling “The oppressor.of the oppressor language of in the the language of the critique distinctive a he effects inheres: achievement Makishi’s that derivativeness”) tive Pop (an “underiva to American proximity very It its in legible is form. internationally an in of US Japanese and critique political astrong to express (Warholparticular) in Pop and Art popular traditions). mainland to engage disinclination artist’s the tion on (not to draw to men academic—art avant-garde—indeed, Okinawan of tradition of distinctive post-1945) any lack the and Americanization and post-1872, (Japanization culture its and of Okinawa determination the over to testifies American of aself-consciously use Makishi’s Rather, it Pop from Tokyo Art. no Pop. is Okinawan guishing There distin ,” of American borrowing “strategic Makishi’s terms what she discusses Japan. Ikegami with settlement postwar of the part as there situated bases military of mainland-sanctioned number the of force because island on the occupying an as acting effectively latter US, Japan the the and mainland by domination of nested asituation in 1970s 1960s and existed the in (1945–72). Okinawa period postwar the in artist consideration Okinawan of whatof it an awider meantto be the from within issue the 1960s, approaching the in Okinawa in production artistic Makishi’s determined that conjuncture political and Tsutomu’s complex artistic the treats Pop Okinawa” in Political ment’s name. move Anglo-American canonical the displace, potentially even and to relativize, as away such in other each tension with in placed to be In contrast to Ikegami’s discussion of Makishi’s satirical ventrilo of satirical Makishi’s to Ikegami’s contrast In discussion from US motifs borrowed détourned argues, Ikegami Makishi, Makishi “Pop Translation as Strategy: Hiroko Ikegami’s article ------Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021 tographies, Martins’s analysis of Dias’s practice refuses what Apter has has what Apter refuses of Dias’s practice analysis Martins’s tographies, car neo-imperialist and nationalist reinforcing, thus and reproducing, that avoids but site-specific and case-sensitive geopolitically both is that approach an Through abstraction. an borders are geopolitical tional conven that recognition in avant-gardism earlier of his nationalism residual renounces the so doing in and universal, abstract the as stood under is international the while concrete particular the as understood is national the wherein conception of , dialectical well-known concerns. from their guished distin work how be should his crucially, and, phases painterly post-67 and evolution pre- of the his in from them drew what Dias show both order in to interrelations, out their Povera, Pop, Arte and Nouveau Réalisme, of Objetividade, specificity untranslatable distinctive, the elaborates process, Martins of this part As singularity. on its insisting ultimately Povera, while Arte Nouveau and Réalisme, Nova Objetividade, and practice artist’s the between intersections and parallels conceptual the 1970s, early late 1960s and discussing the onproblem in Dias’s of the of treatment realism focuses Martins Milan” and de Janeiro, Paris, Rio between Dias Antonio of Reality: “Ideas In with. associated been movements conventionally it has the on divergence from its insists that account Dias’s ofan Antonio practice offers article Martins’s convergence, Bruno Sérgio misleading) mately differences. ofscenes structural York New conceals deep Belgrade and artistic discrete the between translation afluent to be what appears problems of translatability: exemplifying sense, alinguistic in friends,” “false called be might that of struggle forms distinct York two presents in New Struggle out, it turns As of workers’ self-management. principle the of Yugoslavia), specifically parts other and Belgrade (in Centers Cultural Student of the principles organizational to the were indebted principles idiom whose structural York,New acinematic in but rather Popovi´cLanguage & Art of “language” the in film not his create did time, same At the recording. merelydocumentary its than rather stake, group. from the Charlesworth Sarah and to purge means apragmatic as served also group debates that fractious and intense in discussed being was astruggle, of such form collective proper the as well as struggle”), (“the politics socialist work of radical, For Martins, Dias’s work in the 1970s reframes Ferreira Gullar’s Gullar’s Ferreira Dias’s 1970s reframes work the in For Martins, Where Jakovljevi´c’s ulti (albeit on international focuses discussion For Jakovljevi´c, Popovi´c’s at struggle of the is amanifestation film - - - - -

9 skrebowski | untranslating the neo-avant-gardes Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021

10 artmargins 7:2 in the show,” nevertheless also claims that the movement constituted a movement the constituted that show,” claims the in also nevertheless work for the term wrong best “Pop” “the as semi-qualifying while that, of Pop Art acharacterization offers Pop catalog International to the 9 8 2014. in Museum Jewish at the Structures Primary Jens Hoffmann’s Other World The Frigeri’s Pop at Goes Tate 2015–16;Flavia and Modern, Center, 2015; Jessica Morgan and Walker Art at the Pop exhibition Ryan’s International Bartholomew and Alexander Darsie in including institutions, and high-profile by made have been tendencies tic artis neo-avant-garde world-encompassing as Minimalism and Pop Art both for understanding claims of revisionist aseries recentIn years challenges. issue special this that assumption assumption”—an bility “translata on this relied has practice recentMuch work curatorial in t Challenging ones). majoritarian into from minoritarian (usually, languages between translated be can term every to which assumption,”according “translatability the called approach. in differences acknowledged their notwithstanding have followed, tions more recent that exhibi the as serves dynamic, center-periphery the displacing purportedly thesis, of origin” “multiple points ter). This charac ontological specific its not (if of defining neo-avant-garde global emergence of agiven putative the attending mechanism the terizing of charac terms in position elaborated fully most the remains origin” one—Conceptualism). proposed expanded an art—and category—Conceptual “canonical” acontested between distinction to analogous , an important it is making, without (albeit Queen’s at ago the of half a and held over adecade (1999) exhibition, Global Conceptualism Weiss’s Rachel Jane and Farver, now-canonical Camnitzer, on Luis 6, no. 3 (October 2017), 82–91. 2017), 3(October no. 6, Move,” ARTMargins the on “Pop Kitnick, Alex Pop, see World Goes The Pop and International between differences the of For aconsideration were. who artists those Western to affinity artistic claimed their of light in been, have might edly suppos who but show original the in included been not had who world the around from artists featuring show aparallel created also (1966), but Structures Primary exhibition MoMA seminal the restaged Structures Primary Other US. the and UK the outside originating art “Pop” of examples on Pop focused World Goes The Pop and International Global Conceptualism’s foundational notion of multiple “points of notion of “points multiple foundational Global Conceptualism’s 8 These shows modeled their claims to a significant degree degree to asignificant claims their shows modeled These 9 Thus, Darsie Alexander and Bartholomew Ryan’s foreword Bartholomew and Alexander Darsie Thus, he Transla he t abili t y A ss u mp t ion ­ - - - - - Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021 implicitly artistic) dominance.” artistic) implicitly economic (and notion of American to the hostility, not outright if ambivalence, an with imbued often and simultaneously, emerged pops Many lineage. no singular but in designations, and forms singular in Pop World Goes to The duction tion to the emergence of global . contemporary emergence of to the global tion groupsin rela or tendencies of more local specificity the articulating or to neo-avant-gardes, globalized these newly out flesh that instances or regional national of particular studies to book-length ited themselves lim have but far so neo-avant-gardes, globalized these newly outflesh to have sought history art of global project the in participating Scholars shows. of these curators the by made claims the nomena to parallel phe artistic global as presented art or Conceptual on Pop, Minimalism, monographs historical no art been have, Butyet, as there avant-gardes. neo- late modernist of accounts the expanded duced geographically pro for renowned having scholars by articles substantive shows feature the accompanying catalogs the modernisms: diasporic and mopolitan, cos transnational, on international, scholarship historical of art bodies art and engaged the kitsch, the low, the everyday.” the and kitsch, the engaged and art preconceived and of notions high away from abstraction Paulo—turned to Tokyo, world—from fromYork New the around to São centers many in artists when to mid-1960s young “moment early the in 12 12 11 10 (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2016). Press, University Duke NC: (Durham, Worlds Art between Art Conceptual International: &Language Art Bailey, Robert See art.” contemporary to modern from tion transi aconceptualist of crux the itis than more any essence art’s conceptual unlocking to key the supply not does &Language “Art that notes and Anglosphere the on focused overwhelmingly astudy remains this but internationalism, group’s &Language Art the on monograph recent Bailey’s Robert is art Conceptual of study a global to closest The 2016). Press, MIT MA: (Cambridge, Japan in Art 1960s and Contemporaneity International Wilderness: the in Radicalism Tomii, Reiko is art contemporary global emergent an and avant-garde local adistinctive between mediation the of example preeminent The 2013). Press, MIT MA: (Cambridge, Conceptualism Moscow Form: Becomes History Groys, Boris and 2007), Press, Texas of University TX: (Austin, Liberation of Didactics Art: American in Conceptualism Camnitzer, Luis include studies former the of examples Indicative 15. catalog, exhibition 2016), 24, 17, 2015–January September Tate Modern, (London: Frigeri Flavia and Morgan Pop Goes World The in Introduction,” Pop: An “Political Morgan, Jessica Pop Pop,” of International in Edge The “Introduction: Alexander, Darsie States.” United the and Britain in origins its Pop of “beyond migration the ittracks that claiming and phenomena concurrent itdescribes that claiming between somewhat vacillates essay catalog longer Alexander’s 8. catalog, exhibition 2015), 29, 11–August April Center, Art Walker (Minneapolis: Ryan Bartholomew with Alexander Pop International in Reader,” “Dear Ryan, Bartholomew and Alexander Darsie All of these recent exhibitions have drawn on rapidly developing ondeveloping rapidly have drawn recent exhibitions of these All , Jessica Morgan asserts that “Pop arose that , Jessica Morgan asserts 11 , 78, 77. , 78, 12 10 In her In intro , ed. Jessica Jessica , ed. , ed. Darsie Darsie , ed. ------11 skrebowski | untranslating the neo-avant-gardes Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021

12 artmargins 7:2 ization, a cultural corollary of the neoliberal dream—in recurrent but but recurrent dream—in neoliberal ofthe corollary cultural a ization, global by imagined as global” “the to rather but ofart, territoriality extra ultimate the reflecting imaginary postnationalist progressive, a to not corresponds constructed as neo-avant-gardes ofthe bality” “glo putative the that risk the run consequently and turn, “planetary” truly any in participate not do thus shows aforementioned The tion. totaliza its justify might what and orConceptualism, Minimalism, Pop, be that whether neo-avant-garde, given ofa character “global” specifically the ground to meant is what unclear remains itfrequently that way a such in practitioners ofmobile networks various via nected con instances orregional national, local, ofdistinctively accretion an as constructed being fact in still is neo-avant-gardes ofthe nature global the ofexhibitions, corpus emerging this whole.Yet within a as field for the ambition and ofvision breadth notable a exhibit themselves— historians art also are ofcourse, ofwhom, tion—some ques in curators and institutions the sense, this In theses. curatorial their of aspects out flesh to historians art to continue time, same atthe and, generation concept their for inspiring research historical art to indebted avowedly still are they as even art, garde neo-avant- ofpostwar history the reimagine to aspire that exhibitions historical large-scale ambitious, presenting are curators institutions, host oftheir remits collecting expanded the and ofassembly power oftheir virtue By relationship. traditional their inverting arguably argument, historical art and historiography framing consciously to frame them [ them to frame one this as such exhibitions it requires turn, in exhibition; this frame that arguments curatorial on the impact adeep made has art postwar on emergent scholarship “The of decolonization: context the in of art” globalization “incipient on the focuses which HausKunst, der Munich at the Wilmes Siegel Ulrich and Katy with co-curated period, 1945–65 show of the foreword (2016),tory survey to Postwar voluminous his introduc the in logic assimilative this Enwezor explains Okwui logs. cata accompanying their with along institutions, majorin Western art shows originating survey large-scale through and in constructed being 13 13 (New York: Prestel, 2016), exhibition catalog, 14. catalog, 2016), exhibition York: Prestel, (New 1945–1965 Atlantic, the and Pacific the between Art Postwar: eds., Wilmes, Ulrich and Siegel, Katy Enwezor, Okwui ­ self- are argument” “curatorial and curatorship sense, this In are canons artistic neo-avant-garde global the currently Thus, sic ].” 13 ------Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021 and Western-dominated, and as global and connected as it today.” as is connected and global as and Western-dominated, and less segregated world been the had if Structures Primary original the in included have been what to ask might Structures Primary ate for Other So it appropri is exhibition. same the in world over the participating all an aim as conditionsof interconnectedness global of contemporary projection back- revisionist and aspeculative involved taking Structures Primary for Other strategy curatorial his that stating by further, even goes era,” Jens today’s Hoffmann and global in made have been only could that Pop “a is about internationalism project International that claim tensions when some they of these register Bartholomew and Alexander arbitrage. through to profit, aspires West aUS-led still which but in regional— increasingly, national—or, to particular indexed no is ­ hegemons aworld accumulation in regional where capital order of competing multiple, transnationalist West) astill-emergent and ahegemonic, by US-led order dominated (the of periphery, center and order past of the internationalist modern, overlay of an the we see them in neo-avant-gardes: canonical of the character global putatively the the Western model. Western the on marketplace borderless a crisis—of “productive” date) (to still 16 16 15 14 neo-avant-gardes? late modernist ofaccounts the onto back-projected revisionist being is art” “global contemporary of notion/fiction amarketized ascenario such in that risk strong approach “appropriate,” aretroactive Is however? such not Isa there t Task of The (London: Verso, 2013). Verso, (London: Art Contemporary of Philosophy All: at Not or Anywhere Osborne, Peter also See 101–24. 2011), Press, Sternberg Art Contemporary and Group,” in Atlas the in Transnationality and Collectivity Speculative Contemporary: the of Fiction “The Osborne, Peter see contemporary, the of fiction the of notion the On unpaginated. catalog, exhibition 2014), 3, 14–August March Museum, Jewish The York: (New Structures Primary Other in Introduction,” “Another Hoffmann, Jens 2014). Verso, (London: Waste to Go Crisis aSerious Let Never Mirowski, Philip see crash, financial the after neoliberalism of entrenchment ­further and persistence the On 2015). Press, University Northwestern IL: (Evanston, Century Twenty-First the in Geoaesthetics and Turn: Relationality Planetary The eds., Moraru, Christian and Elias J. Amy see spheres, cultural diverse in planetary the of concept the of extension and discussion For arecent 71–102. 2003), Press, University York: Columbia (New aDiscipline of Death Spivak, Chakravorty Gayatri see “planetarity,” of notion tive alterna an of development the and sense, this in globalization of critique seminal For the There is a quality to the various attempts to characterize to characterize attempts various to the quality apalimpsest is There : “We live in a moment in which it is common to see artists from it common is artists : “Weamoment to see in which live in he Un he 14 t ransla , ed. Armen Avanessian and Luke Skrebowski (Berlin: (Berlin: Skrebowski Luke and Avanessian Armen , ed. t or 16 Also, does such an an such does Also, territories, ­territories, longer

15 - - 13 skrebowski | untranslating the neo-avant-gardes Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021

14 artmargins 7:2 covert US funding of the Brazilian military regime, but because but because regime, military Brazilian of the US funding covert York, New in of from and the fought be not could because just Brazil in dictatorship the against struggle the that understood Oiticica Certainly constitutive. as insistently registered be consequences should global its and expropriation this violence involved in the both then period, postwar immediate the in fromParis power cultural and art modern York New idea that accept the broadly stole we If still imperialism. soft linguistic hazards nonetheless that reparation of symbolic ostensible kind in a fiat, away terminological by not should willed simplyand be cannot that corollaries hegemony cultural has geopolitical Historical of contact. points and of origin” “multiple points neo-avant-garde’s the of modeling any in overly horizontalist distorted out or flattened being hegemony risk that cultural and of economic, political, questions tional not to downplayfounda it essential is convincingly, task this undertake To on (not) what keep is we must translating. untranslatable The territories. and languages different across and between comparability and specificity on both insisting by amodel offers untranslatability concretization on the other.” on the concretization reductive and one onhand, the extension boundless abstractly between of antinomies endless out of the “break argued, has Sutherland commensurability. about order cultural in to contest assumptions practice, cultural of (un)translatability of issue the to the explicitly question this to link and neo-avant-gardes global of the historicization at this play in stakes 19 18 17 world. polar amore and multi art contemporary of global instantiations early the as recast be will or to Cold relation Warinstead politics, bloc their by ized character and conceived to be (late) as modernist still are avant-gardes hegemony? geopolitical of postwar question entire the eliding approach not risk 98 (March–April 2016): 84. (March–April 98 Review Left New Garde,” Neo-Avant- Global the and Conceptualism World Gallery: as “The Sutherland, Zöe category. latter the of waning the with rerun being now is that adebate postmodern, considered be could neo-avant-garde the whether of question the with aparallelism note We thus 112. Contemporary,” the of Fiction “The Osborne, geopolitically.” from, ing begins present the when of question the upon insists that dynamic periodizing shifting stantly acon . imposes contemporary the of extension “durational the observes, Osborne As Yet, in historicizing the neo-avant-garde, we must also, as Zöe Zöe as also, we must neo-avant-garde, the Yet, historicizing in you are think are you where upon depending answers different very has question this . And 17 18 Here the issue becomes a struggle over whether the neo- the over whether astruggle becomes issue Here the It is thus imperative to insistently restage the geopolitical geopolitical the restage to insistently imperative It thus is 19 This is a task for which the notion of the for which atask is This - - - - - Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021 in which the idea of mediation should be thought. By emphasizing Byemphasizing thought. be should idea of mediation the which in way the repositions amethodology and aterm as untranslatability competence to another, linguistic and of artistic from oneand domain from one place to another, practice, artistic an indeed work, and artistic US occupation. to postwar resistance islanders’ the and ity subjectiv political of Okinawan particularities the registered that tique cri political astringent an it deliver and to détourne as away such in yet idiom, hegemonic American the retranslated faithfully and mastered, assimilated, Makishi which in way the explores Ikegami Meanwhile, Belgrade”). in York”) New (“struggle in form its and content (“struggle its “convergence”harmonious of a film’stitle between the at in hinted appearance despite the respectively, art, Yugoslav US and Conceptual proper to positions, artistic distinct two embodies film collaborative place. For first Jakovljevi´c, the in collaboration the encourage Popovi´c’s to seemed that similarities ostensible the York,New notwithstanding in of struggle language and mode to the not equivalent was Belgrade in struggle political of left-wing language and mode the that onstrates Jakovljevi´c, it. shaped that ofgeography peripherality” dem turn, his in “transnational of the work terms in artist’s the able is to track Martins way, this In Milan. and de Janeiro, Paris, Rio heas moved between Dias’s work inflected that encounters specific of geographically series a treats Martins associated, been recently it has which Global Pop with of category Dias’s Antonio free-floating work the into of translating temptation Avoiding the formations. neo-avant-garde ofter particular encoun linguistic and spatial the in stakes the addresses contributors of our Each provincial). and metropolitan, (global, centered on cities networks inter- transnational and through and in neo-avant-gardes the of mediation of the aspects geocultural and geopolitical to the develop and insightfully explored by Reiko Tomii. Reiko by explored insightfully and recently territories artistic “resonances” and between “connections” geocultural of the modeling suggestive to the added therefore be must geopolitics explicit An world the system. throughout of art ception con nationalist of a guarantor and afigure . .) itself as art Conceptual and art Process and Minimalism and (andYork of New triumph(alism) the to overturn Oiticica’s sought work also 20 Radicalism in the Wilderness the in Radicalism Tomii, See In its conceptualization of what is at stake in the conveyance of an the in of what at is stake conceptualization its In untranslatable notion of employs the issue the guest-curated This , introduction. 20 - - - - - 15 skrebowski | untranslating the neo-avant-gardes Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/artm_e_00206 by guest on26 September 2021

16 artmargins 7:2 tion and exhibition of art as well as the writing of . of art writing the as well as of and tion the produc hegemony inflect of economic cultural and geopolitics the which in ways distinctive on the insisting to do so while and lations, formu of such Western-centrism residual beyond the neo-avant-gardes of theory and history of the expansion from anecessary resulting friction to intensify—the works to acknowledge—indeed, issue curated 21 21 hubs of around singularity.” coalescing while languages or of ‘foreign’ nations subdivisions cultural the traverse lines “fault work whose critical careful approach to orient amethodological as and endeavors, cultural comparative globally reflexive of insufficiently scale” andgargantuan expansionism the toward gesture “deflationary here a as mobilized is untranslatability successes, as much as failures translation and commensurability as much as incommensurability Against World Literature World Against Apter, , 3, 31. , 3, 21 This guest- This - -