Exposition

Exploring the Principles of Allodoxic Art (in dialogue with Baroness Elsa) (2018)

Jenny Brown
open exposition

About this exposition

It is possible to bring socio-politically engaged practices into the realm of the commons. These practices I have grouped under the umbrella of allodoxic art, a term defined in the first section of this exposition. Allodoxic art provides a way of bringing into focus the social movement struggles that have shaped the discourse across social and environmental justice, embracing the total contribution of individuals’ artistic forms and active citizenship.   French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002) recuperates the concept of allodoxia that was first used by the Greek philosopher Plato (427–347 BC) to describe false beliefs arising from misrecognition. The word allodoxia derives from two Greek words allo referring to a mixture, and doxa meaning practices or teachings. An understanding of his use of allodoxia can equip artists with a tool to map pre-allodoxic tactical actions for unfolding allodoxic interventions that target and impact upon privileged space. Such interventions can maintain and expand the commons as embedded policy and programs, rights, and community-led initiatives. The commons are theorised here not merely as a passive legacy, but as a stake to be claimed, insistently and programmatically, as a matter of collective urgency. The commons also refer to lost or new territory claimed for the protection or expansion of rights, on the one hand, and the common good and activism in general on the other.   I present several artwork examples that elucidate hegemonic social games, as well as others that demonstrating the connection between allodoxia and hegemony. These may act as access points for artists and intervention participants to understand how allodoxic interventions, as anti-hegemonic behaviour, contribute knowledge and skills to commoning processes. They may also, through the exploration and testing of tactics, help those processes gain traction and develop. These are drawn from the radical performative practice of German-born Baroness Elsa von Freytag Loringhoven (born Else Hildegard Plötz 1874–1927: henceforth Baroness Elsa) and my studio based works.   The theorisation of allodoxic art also draws from German political thinker Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), specifically her theoretical work on revolutions, which provides greater understanding of how and why we should take political actions against privileged space. As principles for allodoxic art, this work develops an analytical armature for judging the success of these tactics and to further develop these types of interventions.
typeresearch exposition
keywordssocio-politically engaged art, activism, allodoxia, allodoxic art, Baroness Elsa
date01/01/2018
published10/04/2018
last modified10/04/2018
statuspublished
share statusprivate
affiliationAustralian Earth Laws Alliance
licenseAll rights reserved
urlhttps://www.researchcatalogue.net/view/386727/386728
doihttps://doi.org/10.22501/jar.386727
published inJournal for Artistic Research
portal issue15.
external linkwww.jennybrownjenny.com


Simple Media

id name copyright license
386731 Always Mind the Bullocks Jenny Brown All rights reserved
386734 Allodoxic art Jenny Brown All rights reserved
386752 Allodoxic art principles Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387920 elsa books 1 copy low Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387922 elsa front window Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387923 elsa front window2 copy low Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387925 _48A6525 Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387933 _back504 Jessica Maurer All rights reserved
387935 _side505 Jessica Maurer All rights reserved
387938 _tattoo511 Jessica Maurer All rights reserved
387941 franklin 290315 Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387944 solastalgia 030916 3min Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387951 solastalgia 030916 3min Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387963 house Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387967 ramp copy Jenny Brown All rights reserved
387971 burnt stars 5min 150916 title Jenny Brown All rights reserved
388006 tide 030916 3min Jenny Brown All rights reserved
434019 9781350004177 Jenny Brown All rights reserved
434020 djon Jenny Brown All rights reserved
442947 Elsa_von_Freytag-Loringhoven No known author All rights reserved
442949 Elsa_von_Freytag-Loringhoven_and_Claude_McKay_33941u_edit No known author All rights reserved
442990 temp-refuge-floor-150x150 Jenny Brown All rights reserved
442997 katoombaaerial-150x150 Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443000 katoombaside-150x150 Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443132 woodchop Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443135 permablitz Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443182 AK festival Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443184 AK ferris wheel Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443188 rocket & wink Jenny Brown All rights reserved
443192 window school Jenny Brown All rights reserved
456825 forgotten like this parapluice commons All rights reserved
456826 _48A6511 Jessica Maurer All rights reserved

Comments are only available for registered users.