The Analog Summer School: A Temporary Autonomous Zone

“A map of the world that does not include Utopia is not worth even glancing at, for it leaves out the one country at which humanity is always heading.” (Oscar Wilde, The Soul of Man Under Socialism, 1891)

Can concentrating on the immediate practice of art help us to create communities and in doing so teach us to live better? Can painting, drawing, photography, music, literature, and poetry help us to better understand our life and save us from a world dominated by big tech and autocracy? Maybe not…but it’s worth a try!

The workshop week focused on the physical and material practice of analog photography, analog filmmaking, printmaking, and the production of vinyl records, while exploring theoretical positions in lectures and readings that addressed the new situation of art and design in the face of challenges related to digitization and artificial intelligence.

Lectures and readings explored historical and contemporary contexts of the relationship between labor, art, and craftsmanship, ranging from William Morris, Karl Marx, John Dewey, Allan Kaprow, Robert Filliou, Hannah Higgins, Henry David Thoreau, and such diverse positions as Cal Newport’s self-help “digital minimalism” to John Zerzan’s radical critique of civilization.

The film and photography courses focused on their respective disciplines, while the analog multi-media group worked across different areas, exploring intersections between image, sound, and material processes.

Throughout the week, students developed their own projects within their chosen media. The program included lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities, culminating in a final presentation and a small exhibition that showcased the participants’ work.

Funded by the Erasmus+ program.