Discussion “Reconstructing Modernity – Bruno Latour’s Museum Work”

2016.07.14
ACADEMIA

“For me there is absolutely no difference between doing an exhibition, writing a piece of philosophy, doing fieldwork with the ethnographic method, or writing a play.” For more than thirty years, French thinker Bruno Latour (1947-) has resorted to methodologies from various disciplines in order to reconsider scientific, technical, social and political systems. As worldwide phenomena such as the spread of information technologies, abrupt globalization and harsh climate change intermingle, the intellectual paradigms supporting society are not adapted to reality. This observation has led Latour on various intellectual attempts to change tracks.
The exhibitions organized by Latour offer a concrete basis for this intellectual revolution. Three exhibitions were organized at the ZKM in Karlsruhe: Iconoclash (2002) reconsidering the status of images in science, religion and art; Making Things Public (2005) which advocates a change in our conception of politics through its relationship with art and science; Globale – Reset Modernity! (2016) proposing a shift from modern intellectual paradigms. These challenging projects, offering a thought experiment to the participants through the medium of exhibitions, have been praised as attempts to concretely experiment with new stances in contemporary society.
At the IMT College, we will welcome Bruno Latour for a discussion event with an outlook on the Intermediatheque’s museum activities. Through Bruno Latour’s exhibition work, we will assess the relationship between art and science in museums as a possible model, and reflect on the systems and theoretical framework of Modernity.


［Date］Thursday July 14, 2016, 15:00-17:30 (Opens at 14:30)
［Venue］ACADEMIA, Intermediatheque 2nd floor
［Discussants］Bruno Latour (Professor & Director of Médialab, Paris Institute of Political Studies) × Yoshiaki Nishino (Director, UMUT)
［Language］French (With Japanese interpretation)
［Admission］ Free
The number of seats is limited to 48. Your understanding is appreciated.
［Organizer］ The University Museum, the University of Tokyo (UMUT)
［Cooperation］ Institut français du Japon - Tokyo