Para Site is pleased to present Art and violence in times of tyranny of choice, a lecture by renowned philosopher and sociologist Renata Salecl. The lecture will focus on her ongoing research on the tyranny of choice and the sources of anxiety in contemporary society. Salecl’s preposition is that the constant apparent freedom of numerous choices at every new step in life is an oppressive reality for the contemporary individual. In these conditions, one tends to experience an increase in anxiety and feelings of guilt when faced with the prospect of failing in life – which is now understood as nothing more than the sum of consequences of all of one’s choices. This in turn causes aggression towards oneself and apathy in relation to contemporary social problems which are completely ignored by the emporium of individualist choices. Salecl will also discuss how these new anxieties are reflected through the lens of contemporary art. Art and violence in times of tyranny of choice is a parallel event to the recently ended exhibition Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The Paradox of Choice in a Time of Anxiety.
Para Site Art Space is financially supported by Springboard Grant under the Arts Capacity Development Funding Scheme of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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The content of this programme does not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.