DOCUMENT/INTRODUCTION

ON YUGOSLAV POSTSTRUCTURALISM INTRODUCTION TO “, SOCIETY/TEXT” niKOLa DEDiC´

“Umetnost,­družba/tekst”­was­an­editorial­published­in­the­Slovenian­ journal­Problemi-Razprave­(Problems-Debates)­in­1975.­It­was­written­ by­the­journal’s­editorial­board­at­the­time:­Mladen­Dolar,­Daniel­ Levski,­Jure­Mikuž,­Rastko­Mocˇnik,­and­Slavoj­Žižek.1­The­journal,­ which­is­still­published­today­under­the­name­Problemi,­was­the­central­ outlet­of­the­so-called­Slovenian­Lacanian­school,­and­as­such­the­most­ important­place­for­the­reception­of­French­antihumanist­philosophy­in­ the­former­Yugoslavia.­The­journal’s­concept­was­based­on­interpreting­ French­poststructuralism­in­the­spirit­of­Tel Quel­magazine;­anti- humanist­Marxism­in­the­spirit­of­Louis­Althusser;­theoretical­psycho- analysis­in­the­spirit­of­Jacques­Lacan­and­his­followers;­as­well­as­the­ special­blend­of­Lacanian­psychoanalysis­and­Althusserian­ideology­ ­critique­that­characterized­the­French­journal­Cahiers pour l’analyse.2­ For­this­issue­of­ARTMargins,­the­original­text’s­fi­rst­two­parts­are­ translated,­in­which­the­theoretical­orientation­of­the­whole­magazine­ is­elaborated;­the­excised­third­and­fourth­parts,­which­I­will­also­

1­­ “Umetnost,­družba/tekst:­Nekaj­pripomb­o­sedanjih­razmerijih­razrednega­boja­na­ podrocˇju­književne­produkcije­in­njenih­ideologij”­[Art,­Society/Text:­A­Few­Notes­on­ Contemporary­Relations­in­Class­Struggle­in­the­Domain­of­Literary­Production­and­Its­ Ideologies],­Problemi-Razprave­XIII,­nos.­3–5­(March–May­1975):­1–10. 2­­ One­might­also­fi­nd­theoretical­and­conceptual­similarities­between­Problemi­and­other­ French­poststructuralist­periodicals,­such­as­Peinture, cahiers théoriques­and­Cahiers du cinéma.

© 2016 ARTMargins and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology doi:10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 93

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94 artmargins 5:3 3 socialism. self-managed of already-realized ideal on the rested which time, at Yugoslav the of the context specificity due to the was This Maoism purview. from its absence of the radical 1960s lay in the in journals French similar from many difference greatest , its of Tel Quel mold the in ajournal basically was Problemi offield ideology. Although the in transgression anti-utopian world an as of the so much formation trans autopian not seek did which collective, Kunst Slowenische Neue ­ of the strategies citational-eclectic and cynical the later, especially adecade nearly Yugoslav of the retro-avant-garde strategies modernist post the anticipated also journal hippie movement. The of the spirit the in conceptualism a“mystical” through and art, land Povera Arte OHO to bridge of the sought group,utopianism which neo-avant-garde the Most notable was here,’70s. Slovenia, at in least 1960s and of the experiments utopian Yugoslavof the neo-avant-garde overcoming representedagradual Problemi to art, others). relation In Praxis journal the around gathered philosophers were the of which nists protago (the Yugoslav theory dominated enology, hitherto had which phenom and of existentialism ­philosophies, variants Marxist including of humanist deconstruction and acritique it realized soIn doing, country. asocialist in ideology, art and debates culture, about society, into psychoanalysis Lacanian and poststructuralism, structuralism, time. that at ­ Yugoslavia and Slovenia scene in local the around on debates focus ­discuss commentary, introductory this in briefly it to to relocate remote but sought rhetoric, revolutionary ­charismatic for no longerallowed that society apostrevolutionary in emerged ´c, Šuvakovi Miško had,” to critic according it because “precisely “ French characteristically below, none had of that discussed editorial the as well as journal, The democrats. social German and Belgian, Scandinavian, and Labour British with ties political active forging by and Commune, Paris the of teachings social-utopian the of implementation arevolutionary and workers” the to “factories of slogan Marx’s on relying by others, and Kidricˇ, Boris Đilas, Kardelj, Milovan Edvard by elaborated were self-management of postulates The market. free asocialist and management self- workers’ to policymaking statist planned, from switching by labor productive tizing debureaucra of concept the on based itwas democracy: direct implement and proclaim would that astate toward type Bolshevist the of Marxism state revolutionary of revision a through It 1950. emerged in introduced was self-management socialist of concept The to introduce seeking of ajournal example aunique was Problemi erv ´c, ´c, Petrovi —Gajo Grli Danko Kangrga, Milan and Supek, Rudi Tel that Quel ecstasy and zeal writings -ian , - - 3 -

- - Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 by guest on 24 September 2021 amalgam. emergence for of the this framework theoretical the as acted critique, of ideology aform as psychoanalysis, procedures—Lacanian artistic radical retro-avant-garde’s Slovenian the and cultures, 1980s youth on ablend “alternative,” based of Slovenian punk, of the continuation of the think We also theory. can social Marxist Hegel and as phy such philoso German of classical analysis structuralist on Lacanian based Society, at the given lectures published initially which Psychoanalysis), (Philosophy through psihoanalizo skozi Filozofija series its cially house, espe publishing Analecta Ljubljana in the and Psychoanalysis for Theoretical Society were the these Among Lacan’s psychoanalysis. of Yugoslav and readings poststructuralism Slovenian advancing ture lens. antihumanist journal’s the through observed socialism, aged self-man under culture and of art domain the in situation Slovenian local the analyze sections fourth and second,third, the psychoanalysis; and poststructuralism through interpreted of art theory materialist on aMarxist, based was policy, which programming journal’s the tains registers.” different into divided ­distances struggle, of class revolution analysis the and between philosophical and revolution of the or to theoretical historicizations 6 5 4 on. so and ­ linearity, truth, absolute rationalism, universality, of ideas the abandoned humanism Anti subject. human the precedes process) (or social structure such, As relations. or ­ structures, of field asynchronic as but society, or subject human the of self-realization ­ the toward leading process diachronic ateleological, as not viewed is history spective, per antihumanist an within contrast, By emancipation. social of process the in attained be to aim anormative as interpreted is totality sense, that in (self-)emancipation; and alienation of adialectic within Marx reading on based It is society. entire the of pation emanci teleological the of philosophy synthetic agreat as Marxism views which thought, holistic of akind for astriving implies theory Marxist within humanism of notion The 1990. after only fame global current his to proceeding editorial, this of gence emer the after soon books first his He published critique. ideology Lacanian of field the in philosopher international prominent most the is today Žižek Slavoj while criticism, art and anthropology historical undertook later who historian art an is Mikuž Jure activism. political leftist and linguistics, semiotics, psychoanalysis, theoretical art, of sociology the philosophy, political to ideology of theories Althusser’s apply to ways unique generated Spirit of Phenomenology Hegel’s concerns which of important most (the idealism classical German of interpretations his in analysis psycho Lacanian applied instance, for Dolar, Mladen philosophy. antihumanist Yugoslav of representatives chief the become to on went družba/tekst” “Umetnost, of authors The 466. 2006), nosti, umet Univerzitet (: Analysis] [Discursive Šuvakovi´c, analiza Miško Diskurzivna con first the sections: four comprises article noted above, the As of abroader cul endeavors, its not in alone but was part Problemi 5 4 Mocˇnik Rastko opera. and as well ), as 6

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96 artmargins 5:3 7 well). as ,” “socialist and ate ” phenomenon “moder as this have described historians art regard, that ­ (in Yugoslav of the neo-avant-garde experiments radical the against resistance of conservative astronghold as well as culture, and art of bureaucratized alocus often was modernism socialist apolitical, the autonomy and artistic advocating by yet, self-management; of socialist conditions­ the under emancipation cultural brought turn this first, At culture. and of art liberalization country’s of the signs as ernism mod of international procedures formalist the adopting instead trine, doc artistic official its as socialist rejected 1948, Yugoslavia in Cominform the and Stalin with break country’s the Following ism. modern phenomenon Yugoslav of as the socialist now known teristic ­bourgeois autonomy, charac inherent an was concept of which artistic of the critique amaterialist to offer is purpose main text’s The textual practice or textual concept of signification Tel the Quel conceptswith those associating and ceptualizing on recon insists editorial economic the processes, with struggle class and materialism links theory Marxist whereas classical Nonetheless, struggle. to class linked fundamentally is that etc.) relations, ideology, of production, social conditionsof existence—modes social and material its by but rather consciousness, by notis determined life human that implies practice” notion of “material the sense, Marxist atraditional (in practice of material aform as art on interpreting insist of art. fetishization on abourgeois predicated was time at the culture Yugoslav in paradigm ideological dominant the that arguing is, that aestheticized— highly also was that humanism European traditional of a arelic as modernism of socialist adeconstruction offers editorial concept of reflection Marxist classic out the authors single the term, central their As sense. alist poststructur the in of discourse words, that is other in Its materialism, society. given ahistorically in meaning of producing complex systems as viewed culture and but of language society, and of history nant determi basic of economicthe as not processes is that ofism Problemi Histories: Historical Avant-Gardes, Neo-Avant-Gardes, and Post-Avant-Gardes in Yugoslavia, 1918–1991 Yugoslavia, in Post-Avant-Gardes and Neo-Avant-Gardes, Avant-Gardes, Historical Histories: Impossible in 1950–1970,” Scene, Art Yugoslav the on Views Radical Modernism’? ‘Socialist Outside or “Inside Denegri, Ješa see discussion, detailed For amore 170–208. 2003), autonomy, concepteditors of the artistic humanist ofInstead the Djuricˇ Dubravka by , edited understood humanistically , but its not in Šuvakovi´c Press, MIT Miško and MA: (Cambridge, material the regard, that . In 7 Problemi The –derived ------Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 by guest on 24 September 2021 thinking.) linear and rationalism, scientificity, it systematic and doubts of meanings, instability the and on plurality it insists origin; of metaphysical theory any in discourse to ground reluctant is philosophy antihumanist that means tency. (This wholeness, of consis complementarity, and totality, Western tradition 2,000-year-old the deconstructs thus philosophy Antihumanist out. falls something from which apparent, are intersections their whole; ­ only aunified to form come together might that circles two do not form culture and nature psychoanalysis, to Lacanian According ­entities, nonwhole the called from what Lacan draw aconcept they inconsistent and fragmentary are itself society and subject human field. social the in exclusion of point this precisely presents Art determined. negatively is society sense, that In or lack. “remainder” atraumatic excluding by established is field social whole; the contrary, on the a homogeneous or undivided not is of field ideology. the Society in aprocess of exclusion but through of mimesis, terms not in society reflects art that claim the emphasized instead and structure of social view this rejected Lacanians venian base’s Slo the on goes in whatever economic domain. reflects ically mimet ­economic superstructure, of the part as whereas art, exchange, of domain the comprises base the tradition, to that According ture. superstruc and of base dialectic traditional the through sense Marxist 8 theory economy, of the post-Marxist contradictions Slovenian the were meantto reconcile self-realization society’s and subject the that belief humanist of the lieu In it. on radicalizing insisted they spirit, Althusserian and aLacanian in humanism Marxian deconstructing rather, by ideologically; Marxism to revise nor sought rejected ther nei theorists Slovenian the Yugoslav the framework, in dominant then production. of cultural potential revolutionary the process reveals the in and of art, nature productive signifying, the ­ rediscovers thereby and antagonism of social locus at the It strikes ­ fragmented. is society that fact to the points contrast, by art, critical concept of autonomy, elitist this negating by unity; whole, undivided a as autonomy, its and society to posit seeks art ideology bourgeois 1995), 46–47. knjiga/Alfa, Narodna (Belgrade: Concepts)] (73 [Postmodernity (73 Šuvakovi´c, pojma) Miško Postmoderna the both imply that thereby theorists antihumanist Slovenian theory, Marxist reinterpreting by to note that is important What is 8 conceptsof disinterested the Using . ­ - - ­ - 97 DED I C´ | O N Y U G O S L AV P O s t s t r UC T U r a L i s m Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 by guest on 24 September 2021

98 artmargins 5:3 group the phase, reistic its during thinking; theoretical Kermanauer’s Taras philosopher Slovenian the by phenomenology, especially and by inspired group was work, the its In reism. so-called was one of them experimentation; neo-avant-garde its in of stages anumber through it. achieve not ultimately did they abreak,” such of making brink the OHO “to while came that maintain authors the as even of , domain the in OHO group’s experiments the especially Istok and and G. Plamen, Kermanauer, Aleš Paš, Boris works of poetic the mentioning explicitly neo-avant-garde, Slovenian of the significance the highlight further They artists. avant-garde of individual efforts the notwithstanding literature, in especially and Yugoslav and culture, Slovenian in to happen yet had cut materialist aradical such that authors stress The practice. signifying amaterial, as art interpreting toward object beautiful and adisinterested as from art Western culture, in cut materialist of aradical whom marked all music, in Schoenberg and painting, in Cézanne literature, in Mallarmé and Lautréamont, Rimbaud, as such of artists importance the emphasize scene: they literary Slovenian contemporary the with deal also editors The culture. and art interpreting in idealism philosophical with them link and culture national Slovenian in trends dominant these critique editors The literature. Slovenian in dominated aestheticism socialist or modernism sober so-called time, at that visual the in 1970s. As of the beginning at the literature of Slovenian state the tion) analyze determination. or negative antinormative abasically gaining of transgressivity, theory amaterialist into idea from autopian of synthesis transformed thereby is Marxism totalitarianism. into falls inevitably antagonistic non itself declares that society antagonisms—any of inherent free is ­ so on.No and society of gender, subculture, generation, race, nation, to those but also differences, relatenot to class only antagonisms social words, other In of field signification. the was for them which of culture, ­ field the in them located Society/Text,” of “Art, editors the including of field economy, the in Lacanians, Slovenian antagonisms social situated Marxists whereas vulgar Marxism: ofeconomic classical basis the was then, to deconstruct, Whatit sought of totality. category ist ideal to the opposed as concept of difference, poststructuralist the ing reflect antagonisms, social of reconciling impossibility on the insisted 1966 went 1971 and and between OHO active groupThe was transla from our (omitted parts fourth and third editorial’s The - ­ - - Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 by guest on 24 September 2021 the In culture. and art avant-gardes) of interpreting Russian and , , zenitism, (, heritage avant-gardes’ historical the up with linking etc.), especially and struggle, class and reflection of categories of the interpretations mechanical humanism, mism, econo as (such of idealism remnants of all theory Marxist “cleansing” of example an It also is of culture. understanding national(ist) the ing of deconstruct domain the in operate would which poststructuralism, Yugoslav development and about of Slovenian the indications clear offers text the From today’s perspective, activities. future journal’s the of language. ­ analysis astructural through of essentialism tion phenomenological adeconstruc OHO of the group pursued critique editors’ the method, this with line In infinite.” “the and unfinished” of “the the and writing fictional and theoretical between divide the leged blurring privi articles authors of those The reality. ofrepresentation external over the prevailed text of the aspect or material linguistic the which in writing, textual promoted so-called contributions , those Tel Quel to ­ Similarly theory. literary and to particularly and to art, cated dedi was issue of every part so on.But important and an antipedagogy, philosophy, linguistics, traditional and theory of psychoanalytic fusion a psychoanalysis, Lacanian with dealt that of papers mostly sisted con issue each instead, often; were very not published contributions of Problemi history the Throughout of language. nature transgressive and open, rhizomatic, intertextual, heteronomous, productive, the disregard that systems founded ically ontolog and essentialist, closed, phenomenologically with engagement this precisely but criticize experiments, neo-avant-garde poets’ reistic of the significance accept the editorial authors of the The versa. vice phenomenality, and to visual points word literally phenomenality—a of aword visual its and meaning the between relation a tautological on It insists poetry). of visual spirit the in object aspatial to transform or of objects, (or acollection as abox abook-object into text transform to working entails for instance, poetry, presence. Reistic of immediate ­ appearance the space of agallery, the in gave them, then and objects impressions of group, asimple to quotidian make procedure the used MarkoPogacˇnik, thinking, that with presence. line In of amember ­ unmediated their in of appearance forms with is, themselves—that phenomena with working perception, of pure domain the in acted for ­ guidelines provide article of the paragraphs concluding The 1970s, literary the in , especially ------99 DED I C´ | O N Y U G O S L AV P O s t s t r UC T U r a L i s m Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 by guest on 24 September 2021

100 artmargins 5:3 of Problemi Ideology of Object ­success Sublime of The translation 1989 English the after international Žižek’s in (culminating internationally contribution original an to make Yugoslav enabled theory eventually choanalysis psy and poststructuralism, of Marxism, mix educations). This their in paths similar pursued thinkers poststructuralist Slovenian other and àSaint-Denis, Vincennes VIII at Université Paris studied Slavoj Žižek Paris, in Sociales Sciences en École Hautes des the Études and Études Mocˇnik France (Rastko in Hautes des École at Pratique the studied at universities abroad, education typically further pursue and to study them enabled that asystem in lived generation this time, same At the Yugoslavia’s horizon.” “ideological aconsequence of socialist Marxism, in education athorough had Psychoanalysis, for Theoretical Society Problemi around gathered theorists Most of the time. at the Yugoslavia in prevailed conditionsthat to the according reinterpretation of philosophy, French models made their but rather of ready- no mere was importation Yugoslavia in poststructuralism Moreover, of reception the asynthesis. such to permit enough liberal was socialism of self-managed Yugoslav variant The theory. of Marxist ­possible, ­ revision of poststructuralism’s critique anuanced alone let was philosophy of poststructuralist French no reception stances, circum historical and political specific where, due to their countries, Europe’s among post-communist other opment humanities of the Scipion Nasice theater. the Sisters and in ing, paint in IRWIN arts, visual the music and in Borghesia and Laibach as such collectives by strategies artistic ment of retro-avant-garde develop the and alternative youth emergence Slovenian of the the with 1980s, the during culminated, Problemi around authors gathered of the work theoretical the by merely suggested etc.). Whatwas Salecl, Renata Mocˇnik, Rastko (Slavoj Žižek, critique Zupancˇicˇ, Dolar, Alenka Mladen ideological as school Lacanian Slovenian of the crystallization definite (Braco Tomaž Rotar, a and Brejc, Jure of Mikuž), painting semiotics the Riha), of(Rado philosophy science Althusserian-Lacanian an via Erjavec), work of the is Aleš relevant especially regard, that (in culture for studying platform interdisciplinary amaterialist, into beautiful the of study from ahumanist aesthetics classical reinterpreting directions, multiple in developed poststructuralism Slovenian followed, that years devel the place in a unique represents Yugoslav poststructuralism 1975 editorial this out in sketched theory, Lacanian ). Slovenian of psycho discussions in shift of paradigm asort , effected Slovenian the later , and ------Downloaded from http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/ARTM_a_00160 by guest on 24 September 2021 scene. intellectual unique Europe, Eastern called to be of what used confines the within and, of adynamic beginnings to the testament important here an provides ­ presented editorial reason, the for of that ideology.issues Precisely of application Lacan’s nonwhole their to and Razprave of discourse proponents,most however, Yugoslav of Problemi- the philosophers in areas. other, non-Marxist in Maoism work to academic from political directions, different in persed dis board editorial its and issues, ten only after were discontinued l’analyse pour Cahiers at the Miller Jacques-Alain around work authors gathered French of the the in psychoanalysis Lacanian critique. cal ideologi poststructuralist become alate-materialist, would choanalysis of Yugoslav its psy advocates, hands the in Indeed, of culture. theory all-encompassing ­psychoanalysis an into theory from ametamedical of transition materialist the enabling theory, acritical as analysis 10 9 1–55. 2012), Verso, (London: Peden Knox and Hallward Peter by edited l’Analyse, pour Cahiers the from Selections 1. Volume Form: and Concept in Training,” Theoretical “Introduction: Hallward, Peter See theory. social of field the in only acted have but practice, psychoanalytic pursued not have authors Slovenian the colleagues, French their unlike Interestingly, 9 of transformation of this seeds the see Curiously, we can 10 fore its find would transformation The Cahiers . The - - - - 101 DED I C´ | O N Y U G O S L AV P O s t s t r UC T U r a L i s m