CHOI, Binna; KRAUSS, Annette; VAN DER HEIDE, Yolande; ALLAN, Liz (eds.)
Unlearning Exercises: Art Organizations as Sites for Unlearning

Learning is often progress-oriented, institutionally driven, and focused on the accumulation of knowledge, skills and behaviour. In contrast, unlearning is directed towards embodied forms of knowledge and the (un)-conscious operation of ways of thinking and doing. Unlearning denotes an active critical investigation of normative structures and practices in order to become aware and get rid of taken-for-granted "truths" of theory and practice. This book shares the process of unlearning, taking art and art institutions as sites for unlearning and Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons as an experimental case.

Unlearning Exercises: Art Organisations as Sites for Unlearning shares a set of "unlearning exercises" as propositions to be useful for and adapted within other specific (institutional) contexts in and beyond the arts. These exercises range form daily practices like "Cleaning Together", to seemingly unresolvable issues of collective authorship and fair wage. They also offer insights into the lively and long-term collective unlearning process. The exercises are accompanied by personal accounts, essays, political criticism, and collective conversations, forming a multi-faceted critique of institutionalized habits while studying and practicing processes of unlearning. [publisher's note]

With contributions by Liz Allan, Yollotl Alvarado, Antariksa, Jacob Apostol, Binna Choi, Joy Melanie Escani, Andrés García, Brigitta Isabella, Faisol Iskandor, Ismiatun, Nancy Jouwe, Annette Krauss, Emily Pethick, Andrea Phillips, Ying Que, Kerstin Stakemeier, Sakiko Sugawa, Syafiatudina, Ferdiansyah Thajib, Marina Vishmidt, Yolande van der Heide, Erminah Zaenah, and the shifting team at Casco Art Institute: Working for the Commons.

Published by Casco Projects / Valiz, 2018
Design by Rosie Eveleigh
Education / Institutional Critique