Of all the flyers we receive, the ones with headshots of grinning neo-conservatives don’t usually grab our attention first.
But sure enough, our artist friends, Daniel Lichtman and David Baumflek sent out an invitation to attend the first of their three discussions, “How to Stay Free”, about art practice in an age of neo-liberalism. Part of The University of Trash exhibit/events at Long Island City’s Sculpture Center this month, David and Dan screened the first hour of a ten-part season called “Free to Choose”, first aired on PBS in 1980, right before the presidential election in which Reagan came into office. In this first episode, University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman presents the tenets of his free market economic philosophy. The vocabulary of ‘opportunity’, government ‘non-interference’, and ‘freedom of choice’ shouts loudest in our 21st century ears. Two other screenings, including some of Adam Curtis’ documentary work, and further discussion, follow on two upcoming Saturdays (June 27, July 11). A great way to not mind a rainy summer Saturday afternoon.
