The Whispering Campaign

Curator Dieter Roelstraete and artist Pope.L (University of Chicago, Department of Visual Arts) expand upon their collaboration at documenta 14 where Pope.L first presented his Whispering Campaign project.

Art and Knowledge
Department of Visual Arts
ARTV 27214, 37214
Professor Pope.L and Dieter Roelstraete

This course is an exploration of questions concerning the relationship between Art and knowledge. Is Art knowledge? Can Art create knowledge? If Art is neither knowledge nor creates knowledge, what is its function? These questions are discussed using themes: secrecy, rumor, ignorance and surveillance, and a corresponding set of artworks by a group of artists who utilize these approaches: Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, Sophie Calle and Julia Scher, among others. We will also do close readings of essays relating to our themes, for example: texts on recent theories of ignorance as knowledge or Derrida's metaphysics of presence. To round out our discussions, students will participate in a series of hands-on art exercises to give our analyses more material form and further ‎exemplify our exploration.