#(the theory that Deluze explains)

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why are Venus and Wanda always referred to as "Venus"? Wanda openly says that she identifies with the Greek world but throughout the novel the word used to address her is "Venus", the latin name for "Aphrodite". Wouldn't the latter be more correct?

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Queer Art and Politics Seminar

1.0

What is queer?

Queer culture is a sexual freedom and liberation of all individuals. The term Queer distinguishes itself from sexual preferences such as Gay or Lesbian, as Queer it is not restricted or directly linked too sexual activity. Although this umbrella term is politically ingrained in standing for and changing the conditions of all individuals oppressed based on their sexuality and gender. The Queer culture understands the source of its oppression to be one of a class struggle. This has lead to contemporary Queer politics aligning itself with anti-capitalist, feminist and racial equality movements supported in the work and writing of groups such as the VNS matrix and Laboria Cuboniks. Contemporary Queer theory since its origins in the 1990’s has been about the fluid identity of Queer individuals.  

What is Queer Theory? 

Man and women, male and female, masculine and feminine: one and zero looked just right, made for each other: 1, the definite, upright line; and 0, the diagram of nothing at all: penis and vagina, thing and hole, hand in glove. A perfect match. It takes two to make a binary, but all these pairs are two of a kind, and the kind is always kind of one. 1 and 0 make another 1. Male and female add up to man. There is no female equivalent. No universal woman at his side. This male is one, ones everything, and the female has “nothing you can see.” Woman “functions as a hole,” a gab, a space, “a nothing- that is nothing the same, identical, identifiable, a fault, a flaw, a lack, an absence, outside the system of representations and auto- representations. This quote by Sadie Plant on page 35 of Zeros and Ones accurately portrays the social dominance of the masculine patriarchy, which results in the oppression of other individuals. This formulates the fundamental bases of Queer theory, which is to embrace and then abolish the otherness of identity. There is plant and animal, machine and organism, black and white, human and robot, male and female, queer theory aims to abolish all of these false dichotomies. In order to embrace and then abolish the otherness of identity caused by sexuality and gender, individuals must be viewed subjectively and not from the hegemonic social perspective which only reinforces the masculine patriarchy, but for all people to be embraced for their otherness, where the difference of every individual is celebrated. Donna Harroway in the Cyborg Manifesto summarises this by stating “the power to survive, not on the basis of original innocence, but on the basis of seizing the tools to mark the world that marked them as other.” Once the uniqueness and otherness of all individuals is embraced and celebrated it becomes equalised and reduced to nothing resulting in the fluid identity of all individuals. Therefore it is emancipated and no longer formulates the basis of oppression. 

 Eradicating the idea of the Natural 

Nothing should be accepted as fixed and permanent, neither material condition and social forms, nor the technological horizon. The glorification of ‘nature, has nothing to offer. Laboria Cuboniks in Xenofeminist manifesto. As I have explained earlier the objective of Queer theory is to embrace and abolish otherness resulting in a fluid identity. One main idealogical concept used to deploy these objectives is to eradicate the cognitive idea of nature. Nature being something that exists outside of culture, a predetermined higher force fighting for a universal equilibrium. All knowledge and imagination is within culture and nothing lies outside of this, any predetermined ideas only reinforce current white western patriarchal and hierarchal power structures. Explained by Laboria Cuboniks “to claim that reason or rationality is “by nature” White, patriarchal and European is to simply concede defeat. Nature is used as a tool to reinforce dogma by a individual, group or organisation as it is utilised to morally justify thought and action, restricting the ability for change. 

  What is Technoscientific Queer Theory?

 Technoscientific Queer theory, is a branch of contemporary Queer theory and politics that highlights the potential for the emancipation of oppressed individuals through the coding and programming of future hegemonies. Aligning itself with the Philosophy and theory of technology that understands technology as a species that will outlive the human race. Technoscientific Queer theory argues that long lasting gender, class and racial equality will come through the incorporation and providing of equal opportunities to all individuals through the diplomatic coding and programming of future technologies. Queer and transgender theorist Jack Halberstam’s work investigates the possibilities of oppressed individuals aligning themselves with technology evident in his quote “self and other, self and technology, self and power in queer feminism.” Technoscientific Queer is part of the origins and foundations of Queer theory first introduced into popular discourse in the 1990’s with writers such as Sadie Plant and Donna Harroway.  Presently Technoscientific Queer thoery is still evident in philosophy, theory and literature and has spread to a range of social mediums such as the political movement “accelerationism” artists such as Goodyn Green and Kaitlin Jane also heavily incorporate the ideology. In order for us to better understand the formation of Technoscientific Queer theory in stage 2 of the seminar I will aim to provide the historical context of the time Queer theory entered popular discourse.

 2.0

Queer theory marks its official formation and introduction into popular social and academic discourse in the 1990’s. Although post-structurlist  ideologies influence in the formation of the major themes and concepts in Queer theory date back to the 1960’s. Derrida was one of the first theorists to bring to attention the limitations of structuralism while lecturing in 1966. Theorists such as Roland Barthes, Jean Baudrillard and many other influential theorists of the time begun to produce work from a post-structuralism standpoint. By 1968 post-structuralism was already experiencing academic popularity, Gilles Deluze writes his doctrine paper “Difference and Repetition” which continues to be one of the driving forces behind post-structuralism and Queer Theory. Gilles Deluzes states “the self is only a threshold, a door, a becoming between two multiplicities.”

 3.0 In the third stage of the seminar we will investigate and deconstruct two art collectives that align, identify and incorporate Queer theory and politics as apart of their practice. The first is the multi disciplinary queer, feminist art collective the VNS matrix. Forming in 1991 in Perth, Australia at the origins of Queer theories introduction into popular social and academic discourse. Although being geographically isolated from the epicenter of radical queer and feminist discourse of the time the VNS matrix were instrumental to the rise of it’s awareness. The VNS matrix are the founders of “Cyber feminism,” a vastly significant branch of contemporary Queer culture. This allowed for the Queer community to move away from “folk political thinking” which focused on local politics and movements. But instead to incorporate and utilize computer technology and the possibilities that a worldwide network such as the Internet offered. The collective produced a wide range of work including installation, video games, and literature, their first piece “the cyber feminist manifesto’ in 1991 was shown first here in Australia and then internationally as a billboard famously citing “the clitoris is a direct line to the matrix” the following year they released the video game and accompanying video works “all new gen.” This video is currently apart of Red, Green, Blue a history of Australian video art showing at the Griffith Galleries if you have not already seen the piece I highly encourage you all to view the work. Between the years 1992-1997 the VNS matrix would release works such as “ensenual fragments” and, “bitch mutant manifesto” in 1994 and “bad code” in 1996. The collectives work continues to show here in Australia and internationally, as a driving force and influence on Queer and feminist art, theory and discourse. The formation of Cyber feminism and collectives such as the VNS matrix have directly laid the foundations for Queer and feminists collectives to expand in the twenty-first century. One such collective would be Laboria Cuboniks an international collective of 6 members, working from five separate locations around the world. The name is an anagram of Nicolas Bourbaki, a 20th century male dominated French mathematics collective. Forming in 2014 based on an interest in neo-rationalism and shared experiences of animosity as Queer females from institutions when showing interest in reason, science, technology and mathematics. As a fairly new collective their work has been centered around creating a new branch of feminism. First introduced in their 2014 “Xenofemnist” manifesto which aims to dismantle gender, reshape the “family” structure and do away with nature as a guarantor for inegalitarian political positions. This work has had a significant impact of Queer and Feminist communities since it’s release showing in institutions around the world and nationally here at first draft in Sydney. Laboria Cuboniks manifesto marks a time where Feminist, Queer and Trans discourse come together and aim to dismantle and reconstruct a new global hegemony. The VNS matrix and Laboria Cuboniks have both aesthetically and conceptually been instrumental into Queer theories emergence into institutional academic and social discourse.

 4.0  How Queer theory and Politics has influenced my practice?

Reading and researching Queer theory is an important element of my practice. My research on Queer theory is focused on a post nature society that understands the limitations of post-structuralist epistemology. Instead calling for a Queer theory that supports and makes firm depends for moral and political universals that support all individuals. This has lead me to look at the work of Technoscientific Queer theorists and artists. The VNS matrix and Laboria Cuboniks work with visual and conceptual themes to create a unique fluidity between the aesthetic and theoretical elements of their practices, where the art gallery becomes the library and the internet becomes the art gallery. The themes and concepts presented by the VNS matrix and Laboria Cuboniks as well as the fluidity between art and literature are influential to my practice. I aim to be apart of contemporary Queer culture that looks through post-structuralism, which still reinforces linear power structures. To a society that supports sexuality, gender and identity as a matrix, or a sphere, where nothing is fixed or permanent, there is no start or end. Ingrained in a Queer theory and politics that, abolishes nature as a tool used to reinforce dogma and restrict the ability for social change. Instead forming a Queer community that separates itself from sexuality but instead embraces the liberation from sexual oppression of all individuals.

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Sanem Guvenc-Salgirli and Amy-Claire Huestis

Sanem Guvenc-Salgirli and Amy-Claire Huestis make Deluze and Guatari theory accessible in their presentation by the activity in which we took part in that had instructions, a music clip, but the freedom in which how we want to follow them. Although there were instructions there was no structure, it was open to interpretation in which we felt it meant. The class had the opportunity to be in their own state of mind while going through a workshop that has “x” to branch off, adding to the Rhizome or perhaps breaking from it by going down a different route.

Rhizome is a concept developed by Deleuze and Guattari which is a complicated idea to put into words, however, in the presentation, Sanem used Lego to help explain what a Rhizome is which was helpful visually to get the idea across. It is seen to be a binding that is not bindable. There is something holding it but no possible way of it being something. There is no sequence or structure. A rhizome can be non-stable, easy to bring together, and easy to take apart. A part of a Rhizome may die off, but something else will begin to grow in its place.

An art happening event can be influenced by the rhizome, for example, the poetry word happening we did during the class. In which we all wrote our own two words and we placed it down however we felt suited. They could have been laid down in a perfect vertical line, a straight horizontal line, but instead, the class placed them down like an abstract poem that had words above words and beside words and there was no structure to it. This also made people start whoever the consciously decide, they can start from the most left, for the top, a word they think started a sentence, it was spontaneous and there was no right or wrong way. It just happened as it was and could be changed or broken however it wanted to be. It was like the idea of a map in which a Rhizome was also linked to, and how a map has no starting point.