The Medium of Contingency

Robin Mackay (Ed.)

Published by Urbanomic and Ridinghouse
February 2011
Editor: Robin Mackay
Paperback 148x210mm, 83pp.
Black and white photographs.
ISBN 978-1-9054643-9-5

This publication documents the event held at Thomas Dane Gallery in association with Miguel Abreu Gallery and Sutton Lane, that coincided with the show entitled New York to London and Back held January 18 - February 19, 2011. The itinerary raised the question of the relation between art capital, financial capital and intellectual capital. While implying an exchange of thought - since many of the New York-based artists in the show draw on contemporary philosophy in Europe to develop new critical perspectives on their practice - the title also evoked the speculative figure of the 'center' of the art world, shifting from capital to capital, along lines prescribed by the circuits of international finance.

The show featured work by Kristen Alvanson, Hans Bellmer, Liz Deschenes, Thomas Eggerer, Rachel Harrison, Gareth James, Alison Knowles, Sam Lewitt, Scott Lyall, R. H. Quaytman, Eileen Quinlan, Raha Raissnia, Jimmy Raskin, Blake Rayne, Pamela Rosenkranz, Pieter Schoolwerth, Amy Sillman, and Cheyney Thompson.

On February 19, 2011, in an unprecedented overlapping of the contexts of philosophical, financial, and art worlds, The Medium of Contingency event brought together in discussion Robin Mackay (director of Urbanomic), Reza Negarestani (author of Cyclonopedia), Elie Ayache (author of The Blank Swan), Matthew Poole (freelance curator, writer, and director of The Centre for Curatorial Studies at The University of Essex), gallerist Miguel Abreu and artist Scott Lyall. This publication includes presentations by each of the participants and an edited transcript of the discussion.

Contents
ROBIN MACKAY - Introduction: Three Figures of Contingency
REZA NEGARESTANI - Contingency and Complicity
ELIE AYACHE - In The Middle of The Event
MATTHEW POOLE - Art, Human Capital, and the Medium of Contingency
MIGUEL ABREU, ELIE AYACHE, SCOTT LYALL, ROBIN MACKAY, REZA NEGARESTANI, MATTHEW POOLE - Discussion
NOTES ON PARTICIPANTS
NEW YORK TO LONDON AND BACK: LIST OF WORKS

The Medium of Contingency
Thomas Dane Gallery, London, January 19, 2011

VIDEO