Alfredo Jaar: Marx Lounge
Date: 15 February - 15 May 2011
Exhibition Session: The Political Constitution of the Present

Karl Marx's (Trier, Germany, 1818-London, 1883) principal and most influential ideas are still controversial today. This is evidenced in the numerous recent symposiums, publications and exhibitions. The reason for this could be the current economic crisis. However, it would be fair to say that it covers a wider spectrum within the cultural theory and contemporary critique, which constantly question and re-evaluate capitalism.

The Marx Lounge is Alfredo Jaar's answer to this. An area providing the public with extensive reading material on Marx's philosophical, political, economic and humanistic ideas. It also presents bibliography by other theorists, philosophers and authors who have followed, analysed or revisited Marx's theories. Žižek, Hall, Rancière, Butler, Laclau, Mouffe, Jameson, Bourdieu, Fanon, etc. bring new patterns of thought which reflect the enormous amount of knowledge gained in the past few decades. According to the artist, a true intellectual revolution has been carried out, although far from the real world. For these reasons, Alfredo Jaar offers a reading lounge in which to sit back and think about the importance and viability of marxism in the current state of affairs, as well as about the latest political and philosophical views. These views may help us better understand the present moment.

This reading lounge will also house an exhibition of several collectors' editions of important books such as Capital or The Communist Manifesto in various languages, courtesy of Emili Gasch.

 
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