"The Art of Squatting and Libertarian Media: A Communicative Politics for the Commons"

"The Art of Squatting and Libertarian Media: A Communicative Politics for the Commons"

Lecture by Professors Allan Antliff and Kimberley Croswell (University of Victoria, Canada)

Languages: English / Russian

The 21st century was expected to resolve social contradictions through a gradual move toward greater freedom and equality within liberal-democratic systems. In reality, these predictions have failed. Economic inequality is growing, authoritarian populism is on the rise, wars are expanding, and legal protections for vulnerable groups are being eroded.

As part of their European tour, professors Allan Antliff and Kimberley Croswell from the University of Victoria (Canada) will speak in Tbilisi about how to expand democratic and emancipatory presence in our shared social spaces.

Topics will include squatting — as an aesthetic and political protest against real estate development that leads to rising homelessness — and libertarian media, which challenge corporate media monopolies and accreditation structures to protect freedom of expression.

These themes open the door to critical reflections on power, representation, and resistance, which will continue in an open discussion after the lecture.