Charles Gaines ‘The Theater of Refusal in the Age of Liberalism’ Panel
Hauser & Wirth was pleased to co-host a virtual panel discussion with Printed Matter: ‘The Theater of Refusal in the Age of Liberalism,’ featuring artist Charles Gaines, along with Rhea Anastas, Naima Keith, David Platzker and Cauleen Smith, and introduced by David Senior. The program was originally planned to take place at the 2020 LA Art Book Fair to discuss the launch of Gaines’s recent monograph ‘Charles Gaines: Palm Trees and Other Works.’
‘This panel will speak about "theater" and its contribution to the history of the critique of works of art, not as a universalist practice but as a cultural practice that can unpack subjective assumptions about the behavior of the Other. In addition, it will consider the thesis of marginality in this moment of liberal ideology. To this end, we will look at the greater level of diversity in contemporary practice today to see how and if today's world is like or different from 30 and 40 years ago. Is the language that is used in criticism perpetuating new tropes of marginality? When we consider this postmodern and postcolonial moment, are the terms of marginality, new or old, continuing to perpetuate a marginalized population? Is there a new framework from which we should consider what is a marginalizing practice?’ - Charles Gaines
