Presentation of the Ukrainian version of magazine "Political Criticism" and film screening

The presentation of the Ukrainian version of magazine Political Criticism, Film screening (original audio with English subtitles):  "Catastrophy" (2010, Directed by Artur Zmijewski), "Wall and Tower" (2009, Directed by Yael Bartana) took place.

Political Criticism  is an intellectual community that emerged in Poland in the early 2000’s; during the past decade it has been one of the most important players in the Eastern European public sector.

The Political Criticism phenomenon can be described using three basic tenets: renewal of an independent Eastern European intelligentsia, critical of the existing status quo;; activity in the intersection of political, scientific, and creative spheres, which encourage removal of the artificial disconnect created between them;; active intervention in public debates with the goal of utilizing the leftist position to fight economic and cultural exclusion. The Political Criticism project currently consists of an intellectual magazine, publications (from the following authors: Louis Althusser, Zygmunt Bauman, Alain Badiou, Slavoj Zizek, Jacques Ranciere, and others), and a network of offices in Poland.

Since 2009, the Center for Visual Arts at NaUKMA operates an unofficial office of Political Criticism, which created a Ukrainian version of the eponymous magazine. The mission of the Ukrainian Political Criticism is to introduce contemporary leftist ideas and to redefine the idea of @politics," which is consistently discredited by Ukrainian "professional politicians." The main topic of the first issue of the Ukrainian version of the magazine is Political Drugs. In the issue current drug policies in Ukraine and the world are discussed including the relationship between modern policies and drug problems.

Contributing authors in this issue are: Anastasia Bezverkh, Dmytro Hayduk, Kinga Dunin, Serhiy Zhadan, Slavoj Zizek, Artur Zmijewski, Tomash Pjontek, Oleksiy Radynsky, Taras Ratushny, Slawomir Sierakowski, Vasyl Cherepanyn, and Olga Tokarczuk. , The issue is illustrated by Pawel Althamer, Adriana Paczkhi, Joanna Rajkowska, and Santiago Sierra chosen specifically for publication in Ukraine by Political Criticism art editor Artur Zmijewski.

During the observation of Political Criticism days in Ukraine, screening of Artur Zmijewski’s film Catastrophe (documentary based on research conducted of Polish society after the catastrophic plane crash in 2010) and Israeli artist’s Yael Bartana’s movie Wall and Tower which will represent Poland at the 2011 Venice Biennale.