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ARTICLES

THE ANTI-POLITICAL AESTHETICS OF OBJECTS AND WORLDS BEYOND

BySvenjaBromberg ,25July2013
Politics/Philosophy/Art

Image:SannaMarander'SolidObjects',installationviewofTheReturnoftheObject,atInvaliden1,Berlin,curatedbyStefanieHessler

Nowthatimmaterialandaffectivelabourseemtobewaningassubjectsforart,afascinationwiththeradical contingencyofthematerialworldhasgrowntotaketheirplace.Throughclosereadingsofthespeculative realistphilosophythatsoinspirescontemporaryaesthetics,SvenjaBrombergpinpointstheantipolitics inherentinthisturn Whatdoweseewhenwelingerforamomentonwhatisnowcelebratedastheturntowardsobjectsinthe overlappingspacesofartandphilosophy?Atfirstglance,acolourfulpotpourrioftheoriesthathavegainedwide recognitioninanextremelyshorttimespan,especiallythroughtheirpresenceinboththeblogosphereandthe classicalacademicsphere.1ThethinkersfeaturingmostprominentlyareGrahamHarmanwithhisObjectOriented Ontology,andQuentinMeillassoux,whobecamebestknownforcoiningthecriticaltermcorrelationisminhisfirst majorworkAfterFinitude.2InthistermMeillassouxsummarisesthegeneralisedantirealiststanceofallof continentalphilosophyinitsunderstandingofallperceptionasbeingalwaysalreadycorrelatedwithahuman,and thereforesubjectivist,perspective.ButfirstIwanttotouchonsomethingthatIstartedtoconsciouslyacknowledgein relationtothepublicityaroundthedOCUMENTA(13)inKasselin2012,beforebeforegoingdeeperintothese theoriesassuchinordertodisentangleandclarifytheirpositions. TheexhibitionscuratorCarolynChristovBakargievleftnodoubtastotheenormousimpactobjectoriented ontologyhadhadonthedevelopmentofheraesthetic.SincedOCUMENTAtherehasbeenarealexplosioninart exhibitionsthatexplicitlycentrearoundobjectsandarticulatearelationtothephilosophicalstrandofObject

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OrientedOntolgy(OOO)/SpeculativeRealism(SR).Withinthissameculturalturntotheobjectweshouldalso includealargeconferenceentitledAestheticsofthe21stCenturyheldinBaselinSeptember2012,atwhich Harmangavethekeynoteandaninternationalarrayofartists,curatorsandtheoreticiansmetwiththeshared objectiveofclarifyinganddiscussingthesephilosophicalcurrents.3Whathasreallymotivatedmetoundertakethis inquiryisthefactthat,whilethecontinentalphilosophysceneseemstohaveretreatedabitfromtheinitialfrenzy aroundthesetheoreticalstrands,itisnowtheartworldwithitsartists,curatorsandcriticsthatupholdsafidelityto thepromisesofobjectorientedtheories.Butwhatdoesitfindinthemandwhatdothetheoriesthemselvesdeliverin termsofanaesthetics? TheTurnTowardsObjects:TheheroisdeadLonglivethething4 Thereisatfirstaverymaterialsenseinwhichitsadvocatesjustifytheturntoobjects.Weareatapointwhereour faithinthepowersofthesubjecttocritiqueandsubvertreality,asgroundedinEnlightenmenttheory,hasbeentruly defeated,notleastbycapitalismsnowmuchdiscussedabilitytodemandpreciselysubjectiveemotionalor affectiveinvestmentsinitsexploitativemachinery.5Thus,itisnotonlythefactthatsubjectsarealwaysalready subjected,whichwehavelearnedfromFoucault,Butlerandotherpoststructuralists.6Butifcapitalismwantsusto beevermorealive,happyandtrulyengagedinshapingourownlivesonthebasisoftheendlesspossibilitiesthis worldhastooffer,thenthecritiqueofferedbyvitalisttheories,aestheticmodessuchasBourriaudsrelational aestheticsandmorecriticalformsofemancipatedspectatorshipagainstanobjectifyingandalienatingcapitalist realityappearassimilatedanddefused.7AsDiedrichDiederichsenoutlinesinarecentefluxarticle,itisprecisely whatwasstillantitheticaltotheFordistassemblylinedifferentmodesofdreamingdangerouslyorlivingauthentic oralternativelivesthatseemstohavebecomepartofthepostFordistimperativetoproduceaperfectselfasa perfectthing.8Smilesorgrins,daydreamsandwaysofbeingthatcouldformerlyhelpalleviateorescapethe alienatedexistenceofthelabourerhavethemselvesbecomereifiedaspartoftherequisiteserviceweare compelledtoprovide.9Diederichsendescribesasense,similartotheGermantheatredirectorRenPolleschinhis playLoveisColderthanCapitalinwhichallrelationshavebecometoxicandemotionshavebeenrenderedcold objectsforcapital.10Thus,theprimaryconcernseemstobewithoppressive,exploitativeandreifiedcapitalistsocial relationsandhowtobreakoutofthembutthesolutionswereconfrontedwithfromthediversestrandsofthenew materialismsnolongerlieinthecritiqueoftheserelations,butratherinanonrelationalandundialecticalgesture thatpositstheworldofmatteragainstthemanmadedisasterofaneoliberalexistence.11 ThesearchforwhatDiederichsencallsdereificationventurestowardsthatwhichevadesrepresentation,whichis notrenderedobjectquainstrumentalreasonbutquaitsownforce,thedark,themystic,theanimatebutsoulless somethingthatismoretrulycoldandyetnotcoldatall.Thislineofargument,howeverwhichisechoedinHito Steyerlsemphaticcallforustofinallyacceptthedeathofthesubjectandembracetheforcesofconstructionand destruction,ofviolenceandthepossibilitystoredwithinthingsproblematicallysidelinestheclassed,racialised andgenderedoppressionsofcapitalistreality.Withinthis,massesofpeoplehaveneverbeengrantedanysubject statusinthefirstplaceandare,instead,renderedmereobjectsorevensuperfluous,becausenotproductive,for capital.Fromthepointofviewoftheserelations,themovetowardsacceptingorevenembracingobjectificationasin itselfemancipatorycanbenothingmorethanabadjoke.

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Image:BrianJungen,DogRun,dOCUMENTA(13),Kassel,2012 Thissentiment,whichsharesitsfocuswiththenewmaterialisms,tendstoupholdamindbodydualisminwhichthe subjectisassociatedwiththemindandthebadeffectsofEnlightenmentrationalism,whereasthephysicalbodywith itsprecognitiveresponsesandmovementsisoften,andrathermiraculously,abletomaintainacertain independencefromworldlysubjections.Evenifthereisaninvestmentinovercomingthisdualismandacertain cautionagainstglorifyingnatureastheunchangingoutsideofthehumanworldtobecalleduponwhenattemptsto elevateculturefail,thenewmaterialismsemphasisonprecognitiveaffects,feelingsandtouchintherealmofthe natural,orasmomentsofmatterreceivingform,cannotescapethebodysprioritisation.12Thistendencytowards anaestheticsthroughembodiment13,whichfindsitstheoreticalanchorinBrianMassumisworkandotherthinkers inthefieldofAffectStudies,isstillverymuchentangledwiththehumanbodyanditsabilitytobedrawnintonew relationalandanimatefieldsthroughoraspartofanartwork.14 Undertheinfluenceofsimilartheoreticalinfluences,especiallySpinozaandDeleuze,pairedwithaLatouriannotion oftheactant,JaneBennettpushesthisaestheticomaterialistinvestmentonestepfurthertowardsproperly inorganic,nonhumanbodies.Interestedinthematerialagencyofnaturalbodiesandtechnologicalartefacts, Bennettdoesnotrestatatransindividual(ising)capacityofthevitalforcesthatshefindsinthesethings(thing power),butthinksofthemasimpersonal,asbeingforthemselves.15Herprojecthereispolitical,sinceshehopesto induceinhumanbodiesanaestheticaffectiveopennesstomaterialvitalityinordertogivethenonhumanits proper,equalplaceintherealmofthepoliticalinordertomakepossibleagreener,moresustainablehuman culture.16Politicsmustbethought,here,asanecologythatismadeofhumanandnonhumanagents,whichcan equallyshapeanddisruptthecommongroundofexistence.Itisatthispointthatavitalistmaterialistaestheticsof affectsandvibrationsispairedwithanoverwhelmingconcernforaworkingenvironmentalpolitics.Thisstepfroman ecologyofhumanandnonhumanobjectstotheformationofanewpoliticalpublicthat,togetherwithworms,trees andaluminiumasequallypotentactants,issuddenlyabletotackleformerlyirresolvableproblemssuchasclimate change,amountstoanaveattemptatredefiningpolitics.Onethatseesitsmainchallengeasdefiningtheright meansandinstitutionsofcommunication.WhileBennettsfundamentalassumptionisthatourcurrentdemocracy failsbecauseofanimbalancebetweennatureandculture,ornonhumanandhumanparticipation,shefailstosee thatanysuchhorizontalrelationshipisforeclosedfromademocracythatexistswithinacapitaliststateinwhich humans,withtheirpowersandneeds,arenecessarilydividedfromarelationshipwithnatureandthepoliticalrealm thatisnotmediatedbycapitalandclass.17 Whatthenarethespecificcontributionsandpromisesofartworksthatdealwiththeintersectionsbetweentheworld ofmatterandthehumanworld,asdemonstratedbytheBlowup:SpeculativeRealitiesexhibitioninAmsterdam, KasselsdOCUMENTA(13)andseveralotherrecentexhibitions?18Itistheirradicalinquiryintonature,nonhuman matterandlifeformsthatfirststrikestheeye.Intheseinquiries,whoseseriousconcernforareopeningofthedead endofcontemporarypoliticsisoftenpairedwithanelementofhumour,nothingaboutnaturalobjectssuchasclouds

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ortrees,orthelifeandcommunicationofanimals,ordifferentlifeworldsandbodypartsistakenforgranted.19 ChristovBakargievdefinedthisformofart,thathasclearcrossoverswiththespheresofphysics,biologyand philosophyasbasicresearch[Grundlagenforschung]artistsdescribetheiractivityasaninquiryintoprocesses beyondhumancontrol,intofieldsofpossibilitythathavetodowithpoetics,wonderandmysteryasopposedto merereality.20Whatmattersisnolongerthatartworkshaveanydirectcriticalorpoliticalmeaning,aswehave plentifullyencounteredinthedifferentformsofconceptualandexplicitlypoliticalartofthelastcentury,butthatthe assemblagesandconstellationsofmatterandworldsthemselvesmight,asaprogression,creatediscursive signification.21Thegestureofobjectorientedartisclearlyonethatdoesnotallowfornaturetoremaintheeternally excludedotherofhumanexistence,butmakesitintosomethingthatartcaninvestigate,situate,questionand multiplyreimagine.22Thisalsochallengesanystraightforwardenvironmentalistapproachthatcallsforthe conservationofthewhatis,andrendersquestionableanyeasytranslationintopoliticsoftheassemblages presentedbytheartwork,suchasthosefoundinBennettswork.Intheirpartlyhumorous,partlysincereway,these artisticecologiescallintoquestionwhatreallyisandthuschallengeanyrealistpoliticsthatismerelyconcernedwith animmediaterealityofsubjectsorobjects.MoritzGansencapturesthisartisticimpetussharply,whenhenamesit anaestheticsofthestrangeartofcosmicdreaming.23Itisanaestheticsthatisinvestedinexploringpotentialitiesof singularobjectsandassemblagesandincreatingfundamentallynewspacesofpossibility. WhileBennettisawellestablishedreferencepointforthinkingtheintersectionofartandobjectcenteredecologies, itis,morethananyone,GrahamHarmanandQuentinMeillassoux,whohavebeenreferencedinrelationtothe variousobjectorientedartprojectspossiblybasedontheirmoreopenlyspeculativeendeavours.Thismakesit timelytoinvestigatethespaceandqualityofanaestheticswithinHarmansandMeillassouxsownphilosophical theoriesthatallowsustospeculateonhowtheirtheoriesintersectatatheoreticallevelwiththeartandaesthetics theyhaveinduced.24Bothstartbyfundamentallyrejectingtheconsensuswithincontinentalphilosophytotreat beingandthoughtasoneandthesame.25TheytherebyreopentheKantianquestionWhatcanIknow?andthe associatedgrandontologicalinquiriesintotherealthatliesbeyonditsrepresentationsbythehumanmind,which Kantimportantlynamedtheinitself,towhichthehumantranscendentalsubjecthasnodirectaccess.26 HarmansObjectOrientedAesthetics Inhisobjectorientedphilosophy,GrahamHarmansfirststepistoeliminateanyKantiangapbetweentheworldand thesubjectsthatperceivethisworld.Instead,allthatexistsarerealobjectsasautonomousrealitiesorindividual substances.Humansthemselvesbecomeobjects,alongsidefire,cottonandatree.Thereal,astherealmofreal objectsandthereforetherealmofproperdepth,existsindependentlyforHarman.But,incontrasttomanyother speculativerealists,itissimultaneouslydividedabsolutelyfromanyimageorknowledgeofit.Thereal,and thereforerealobjectsandtheirqualities,cannotbeaccessedorknowndirectly.Thereisnodirectrelationbutan absoluteriftbetweenknowledgeoftherealandtherealassuch,whichleadsHarmantocallhisontologyarealism withoutamaterialism.Partofhisdefinitionofobjectsasindividualsubstancesisthattheydonotstandinanydirect relationwitheachother.Themainquestionthusbecomeshowrelationsbetweenobjectsoccuratallandofwhat qualitytheyare. WithandagainsthismaininterlocutorsLatour,Husserl,HeideggerandLevinas,Harmandevelopstheanswerof vicariouscausation.27Initially,realobjectshavenolinkageandinsteadtheywithdrawfromeachotherthatiswhy causationreappearsasaquestionforphilosophyinthefirstplace.Theonlywayobjectscantoucheachotherisby notreallytouching,bydevelopingaproximitythatisclosebutneverfullyfuseswithorexhauststheothersubstance: avicariousrelationship.Theysomehowmelt,fuse,anddecompressinasharedcommonspacefromwhichallare partlyabsent.28Besidesrealobjectsandtheirqualities,thereisasecondcategoryofobjectssensualobjects thatratherthanexistinginawithdrawnstate,liedirectlyinfrontoftheperceivingagentasaunifiedwhole:theyare surfaceappearances,thephenomena.Butagain,thesesensualobjects,eventhoughtheyexistplentifullyandina sharedperceptualspace,donotfuseintoeachother,butendureabufferedcausation.29Onthegroundofthis metaphysicalplane,nointentionalagent,humanornonhuman,caneverexhaustanobjectsreality,neitherthrough theoreticalelaborationsnorthroughpractice.InhispublicationforthedOCUMENTA(13),Harmanillustratesthis nonrelationshipbyutilisingtheimageofEddingtonstwotables.Butinsteadofsidingwitheitherarealityofthe

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physical,scientifictableorthesecondtableofeverydayculture,Harmanarguesthat[t]herealtableisinfactathird tablelyingbetweenthesetwoothers,asitexistsasanautonomousrealitybeyondanyofitsscientificorcultural qualities.30 Interaction,relationship,causation,linkagearefinallythenamesforacomplexprocessthatcanbeinitiatedbetween tworealobjectsortwosensualobjectsonlybyathirdintentionalagentoftheoppositetype(inthefirstcasesensual, inthesecondcasereal).Because,whilerealobjectscannottoucheachother,sensualobjectsalwaystouchreal ones,astheyonlyexistforrealobjects.31Causalityunfoldsonlyontheinteriorityofminds,neverinbetweenthe realobjects.Thatmeans,relationscanonlyeverexistonthesurfaceandneverreachthedepthoftherealobjectan operationinHarmansontologythatrendersthesurfacethedecisiverealm,insofarasasudden(mediated) appearanceofarealobjectinbetweenthemanycommonlyresidingsensualobjectsisalwaysapotentialfor change.Makingthesensualrealmthenecessarymediatorforanyobjectrelationsisthestepthatrendersaesthetics []firstphilosophy32,becauseonlytherealmofaestheticsallowsfortheestablishmentofanyrelationsbetween substanceandcausation,whicharedividedbyanontologicalfission.Similarly,politicsorethicsbecomefor Harmanquestionsofaspecificformofcouplinganduncouplingbetweenrealandsensualobjectsandthereforea questionofthecreationofnewobjects,whichitisonlyeverpossibletotalkaboutonthelevelofaesthetics.33

Image:SarahOrtmeyer,SADEIS,installationviewofTheReturnoftheObject,atInvaliden1,Berlin TheconceptsthatallowustounderstandthespecificpositionofartandartworkswithinHarmansmetaphysical aestheticsaresincerityandallure.Sinceritygenerallyreferstothemomentwhenarealandasensualobjectenter intoarelation,whentheformergetsabsorbedbythelatterinordertoreachaconnection.AsHarmanshowswith theexampleofapersongettingabsorbedbythesensualobjecttreethroughanencounterwithatree,onthestreet orinaforest,thesekindsofrelationsoccurallthetime.Butasthisconnectionoccurswithinthegeneralspaceof intention,whereseveralsensualobjectsandrelatedqualitiesexistbesideseachother,themomentofsincerity, whichseemstobetemporallylocatedbeforeanaccomplishedconnection,bearsthechanceofarealobject piercingthroughthecloudofsensualobjectsandestablishinganewrelation,anewobject.34Withtheconceptof theallure,Harmandescribesawayinwhichsuchanewconnection,whichisstilltobeunderstoodasarelation,

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notasanencounterwiththerealobjectitself,canbeactivelytriggered:35 Theonlywaytobringrealobjectsintothesensualsphereistoreconfiguresensualobjectsinsuchawaythat theynolongermerelyfuseintoanewone,aspartsintoawhole,butratherbecomeanimatedbyallusiontoa deeperpowerlyingbeyond:arealobject.Thegravitationalfieldofarealobjectmustsomehowinvadethe existingsensualfield.36 Thismeans,theallurehastheabilitytoseparateanencountered,sensualobjectfromitsimmediatequalities,and thereforecreateanopeningforadifferentlevelofrealitytoenter,arealityinwhichsensualqualitiesarenotdirectly presentedasthenecessarypartofsensualobjects,norsensualobjectsasunifiedwholes.37TheexamplesHarman offersforunderstandingalluresarepoeticmetaphors,beauty,cuteness(ofchildrenorrecentlybornanimals)ormore generallyfailure,hypnoticexperiences,namesandloveencounters,whichhesumsupunderthecategoriesthe comicandthecharming.Now,whileheexplicitlystatesthatallureisnotmerelyatheoryofart,butatheoryof causalrelationsingeneral,heneverthelesshasclearlypointedtoartandartworksasideallyequippedtoactivate formsofallure,becauseofthewaythattherealobject(whilepartlyremoved)andthesensualqualitiesarefused withintheworkofart:38 Butasimilarcuttingofthebondbetweenanagentanditstraitsoccursinbeauty,inwhichathingorcreatureis giftedwithqualitiesofsuchoverwhelmingforcethatwedonotpassdirectlythroughthesensualmaterialinto theunifiedthing,butseemtoseethebeautifulentitylyingbeneathallitsmarvelousqualities,commanding themlikepuppets.39 Thisspacethatisopenedup,forexample,bybeautyisforHarmanacriticalspacethatallowsfornewrelationsto emerge,ratherthanforanyelevatedcritique.Whilethespectatordoesnotaccesstherealobjectthatistheartwork outsidetheintentionalspaceofhisorhermind,thespectatorandtheartworkcanfusewithintheintentionalspace andcanproducenewrelationsthatarealwaysalsonewobjects.Onthesideoftheartwork,theresponsibilityseems tothenliewithitscreator,theartist,tofindalluresthatforgenewrelationsininterestingways. Itremainsunclearthoughwhatkindofallureswouldcountasbetterorworse,worthyofbeingcreatedornot, becausejudgementsdonotexistinHarmansworldofobjects.Relationsareeitherbroughtintoexistenceornot. Objectsexistanywayintheirwithdrawnstates.Aboveanythingelse,thisconceptualweaknessisgroundedon Harmansfundamentaldistinctionbetweentherealandthesensual,whichremindsoneofBennettspolitical idealisminwhichthesoleproblemofdemocracyhasbecomeaquestionoftheequalaccessandparticipationofthe nonhuman.WhileHarmanovercomesBennettsdivisionofhumanandnonhumanactantsbyrenderingeverything objects,hecreatesadifferentfissionthegapbetweentherealandthesensualandtherebyremainsfaithfulto anidealisationofthenowinaccessibleandtrulyrealasthatwhichcaninterruptandreconfigureitssensual representationsintheobjectsintentionalspaces. ThereisnowayinwhichHarmancouldaccountfortheaccumulationofpowersandforceswithinspecificobjectsor objectconstellationsthatviolatecertainrelationsorevendenyaccesstothemthereisnowayinwhichobjects mightbedistributedunequallyindifferentnetworksofrelationsorinwhichrelationsmightbindobjectstoconditions ofextremesuffering,ofsuffocation,ofdeathandwecouldherespeakofrelationsbetweenpeopleandtheirmeans ofsubsistenceasmuchasoftherelationbetweenacompanythatemitstoxicfumesanditssurroundingbiosphere. ForHarman,realobjects,whosematerialityisentirelyremovedfromoursensualimagesofit,existintheir individualised,withdrawnstatesinwhichtheycanbetouchedbysensualobjectswithouteverreallybeingaffected. Philosophyandsimultaneouslyaestheticshavethusbecomeextremelyimpoverished,astheyhavelostany conceptsthatcouldallowjudgementsthatgobeyondthequestionifanewrelationhasbeenforgedornot.With respecttothespectator,HarmanseemstoremainextremelyKantian,inthesensethatforhimartisfundamentally

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abouttheencounterbetweentheartworkandthespectatorandtheemergingaestheticreactionorjudgement. Eventhoughhemakesclearthathisconceptioninwhichthespectatorbecomespartoftheartwork(ofcourseonly intheintentionalspace)isopposedtoKantsnecessarymomentofdisinterestednesswhenencounteringthe beautiful,HarmanremainsclosetoKantsconceptioninthatheisinterestedinamomentofaweandanexpression ofdelightthattheencounterbetweenartworkandspectatorcancause.40But,insteadofaimingataKantian differentiationofthepossibleaestheticjudgementsandtheirpotentiallyuniversalreach,Harmanismainlyinterested intheslightlymistyandobliquediscoveryonthesideofthespectatorthatthesubjectivesensualworld,whichhe sheithadtakenforgranted,hasactuallymanydifferentfacets,insofarasrealobjectsdonotexistinanyunity. Disappointingly,thissoundslikeanewformofrelationalaestheticsthathasexchangedpeopleforobjects41and nowcontentsitselfasbeingjustanother,maybeslightlymorepotent,formofwinetasting.42Anysensualreactionof aweordelightpotentiallyholdsthesamevaluewhich,triggeredbyadifferentrepresentationofthereal,canforgea newrelation,anewobject. MeillassouxsInaesthetics LetsthenturnourfocusnowtoMeillassoux,wholeadsusawayfromobjectsandtowardsanontologicaldiscussion ofworldsbeyond.WhileMeillassouxhasnotactuallydevelopedanexplicitaesthetics,hehasrecentlypublished themonographTheNumberandtheSiren,onStephaneMallarmspoemUncoupdedsjamaisnabolirale hazard(Athrowofthedicewillneverabolishchance)thatwillhelpmegroundmyexplorations.Meillassoux,in contrasttoHarmanandmanyothernewmaterialists,fundamentallyrejectsanydifferentiationbetweentherealmof beingofontologyandtherealmofsenseperception(theaestheticrealmoraisthesis).Becausehenotonlyalso rejectsthecorrelationistclaimthatthinkingandbeingisone,butwantstorefuteitfromwithin,hisprojectbecomesa demonstrationofthepossibilityofaccessingtheinitselforabsolute,arealityabsolutelyseparatefromthe subject.43AfterMeillassouxhasdemonstratedtheaporiaofthecorrelationistapproachandthescientifictruththat canbereachedviasomethinglikethearchefossile,whichwasinexistencelongbeforeanyhumanspecies,he concludesthatwhatanoncorrelationistphilosophyneedstoconcernitselfwithisarealitybeyondourgivenreality forwhichthereisnonaturallaw,noultimatecause,noreasonandalsononecessity:thatisthemeaningof absolutefacticity,whichissimultaneouslyabsolutepossibilityandabsolutecontingency.Theworldsoftherealare nontotalisable.44Nonecessity,asMeillassouxshows,impliestheimpossibilityofcontradictions,asweknowthem fromHegeliandialectics,becauseacontradictoryentityalwaysnecessarilyimpliesitsotherside,andtherefore contradictsabsolutecontingency.Toendthepurelyconceptualrecapitulation,whatexistsinMeillassouxsrealis superchaos(orformerlycalledhyperchaos)aboutwhichitispossibletospeculaterationally.Followinghis teacherAlainBadiou,tospeculaterationallymeansforMeillassouxtoreabsolutis[e]thescopeofmathematics.45 ThelinkbetweenthistheoryandMallarmspoemisintroducedbyMeillassouxasfollows: [P]hilosophyisconcernedwitharealanddensepossiblewhichIcallthemaybe[peuttre].Thispeuttre []isveryclosetothefinalpeuttreofMallarmsUncoupdeds.46 ByMallarmsfinalpeuttre,Meillassouxmeanstheattempted,butforeversuspended,tossofthediceofthe drownedMasterthatnowremainsundecidedintheeternalcircumstanceofashipwrecksdepth.47Thequestion thatMeillassouxunderstandsMallarmtobeaskingwithUncoupdedsandearlierpoemsisthequestionofifand howpoetrycouldbecomeatrulygreatorconfigurativeartthatisabletoopenuphumanexistencetowardsafuture salvation.Thisgrandquestion,whichMeillassouxseesresidinginawagerforpoetryasanabsoluteandthe sourceofanewreligion,andwhichalsoincludesMallarmsunpublishedprojectTheBook[LeLivre]asoneofits sources,iscombinedforMallarmwithafurtherpressingquestion.Thatofremainingfaithfultotheold collectivisingmetricverseasagainstatrulymodernandindividualisedfreeversepoetry.

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AgainsthismasterAlainBadiou,MeillassouxseesthesequestionsnotresolvedinCoupdedsinrelationtoan eventalconfigurationofthepoemtowardsanewlyemergingtruth,butaspreciselyeternalisedinahypothetical perhaps,bymeansofametrethatsimultaneouslyexistsandinexists:theactivityoffixerlinfini.Meillassoux arguesthisonthegroundsoftheuniqueNumberthatwecanfindalludedtobutfinallysuspendedinthelineofthe poemitwasthenumberwereittohaveexisted,butthatneverthelesshasan,albeitquestionable,hidden existenceviaacodewithinthepoem.48 WithoutwantingtoengagefurtherinaninterpretationofMeillassouxsextraordinaryandnotatallundisputed readingofthepoem,IwillendbyreflectingonthestatusofnumbersandartthatMeillassouxattributeshere.49 WhereasinMeillassouxsphilosophymathematicscandirectlyaccesstheabsolutewithoutanydetourviareason, Mallarmeternaliseshispoetryonthegroundofanumberwhoseexistenceisundecidable.Theeternityliesthen notmerelyinthemetreofthepoem,notinthenumberitself,becausethatwouldgivethepoemafinitemeaningand existence.Viaitsproximitytoboth,languageandnumbers,thepoemallowsthereadertogazeintothespaceof hyperchaosthatissimultaneouslythevoid,butonlyifheisattentiveenoughtodiscerntherathercomplexlayers throughwhichthistelescopeisconstructed.IfasreadersofBadioustreatisesonartasinaestheticswehave remaineddisappointedbyhisstrangeformalisminwhichtheartworkitselfbecamethesubjectoftheeventand thereforethebearerofaneternaltruth,whichwasthenchargedwiththeabilityofemancipatinghumanityintonew sensiblerelationswiththeworld,itseemsthatMeillassouxmayhavedeliveredapossibleanswertohowthis formalismcouldplayout.50Thisoccursviatherouteofmathematicsastheaccesstotheabsolute,theworldsthat existbeyondourreality.InhisreviewofTheNumberandtheSiren,ThomasFordcallsMeillassouxsinterpretation ahazeofnumbersthatheopposestothe20thcenturyhazeofsignification.51Andeventhoughwemightbe scepticalofbindingartinthiswaytomathematicalformulasandturningitintoahighlyintellectualised,yet simultaneouslymysticinquiryintoashadowydepthofbeing,itisdifficultnottobeintriguedbythisidea.Ofcourse Rancirescritiquethatthisunderstandingaffirmsanoldmodernistbeliefintheautonomyandspecificityoftheart objectishereasmuchvalidaswhenitwasposedagainstBadiousproject.52Butifweweretoembraceanartof theinaesthetic,i.e.anartthatitself,andindependentofthephilosophicalsubjectofaesthetics,canalertanddirect thespectatortoatruththatfundamentallydiffersfromthesubjectivehumanreality,withouttryingtocoupleittoour politicalambitionsforarttobedirectlyinvestedinouranticapitaliststruggle53,itcouldperhapsbecomeasourceof dreams,desiresandcomportmentsthatmighthelpustounderstandthisveryworldascontingentandtherefore opentobeingaltered.

Image:PierreHuyghe,ColonyCollapse,dOCUMENTA(13),Kassel,2012 AtthesametimetheaestheticsofhopeMeillassouxsphilosophyoffersusisnotaBlochiannotyetbeingthat,in itsutopiansense,isneverthelessdirectedinaveryconcretewayagainsttheoppressivematerialconditionsof existenceundercapitalism,andwhichisitselfonlygeneratedbytheparticipationinthatverysamestruggle. Meillassouxsrealofsuperchaos,whichartmighthelpustoaccessis,whilstradicallycontingent,alsoabsolute,

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containinginitselftheequalcontingencyoforderanddisorder,ofbecomingandsempiternity.54Whereasthisform ofhopeseemstoofferusanewwayofdreaming,thedreamsthemselvesmakecapitalistsocialrelationsandour humanstrugglesappearequallypetty,inaneandmerelyfromthisworld.Itisahopeofthelastresortthatisno longerinvestedinchange,butinalleviationofthepainthatcomeswithresignation. *IwouldliketothankStephanieHessler,JennyNachtigallandMoritzGansenfortheircontributionsandlinksalong thewayaswellasJosephineandBenfromMutefortheirencouragementtowritethisarticleinthefirstplaceandfor theircarefulreadershipandgreateditorialcare. SvenjaBromberg<svenja.brombergATgmail.com>isaPhDstudentintheCentreforCulturalStudiesat GoldsmithsCollege,London.SheworksonMarxistpoliticalphilosophy,aestheticsandpolitics,andfeminist theory. Footnotes 1InthePhilosophyDepartmentattheFreeUniversityBerlin,therehasjustbeenanentireHauptseminardedicated toSpeculativeRealismduringthepastacademicyear. 2AswellasBrunoLatourforHarmanthemostimportantphilosopherofthe20thcenturyandLeviBryant,Ray Brassier,SteveShaviroandothers.ButMeillassouxandHarmanarethefiguresIwillconcentrateoninthisarticle duetotheirprominenceinphilosophicalandartisticmovements.Amoregeneraloverviewofthinkersandpositions canbefoundinLeviRBryant,NickSrnicek,andGrahamHarman,TheSpeculativeTurn:ContinentalMaterialism andRealism,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia:re.press,2011. 3See:TheEraofOjbects(BlowupReader3)andtheexhibitionsitisbasedon,SpeculativeRealities,(Blowup Reader6),V2_:InstitutefortheUnstableMedia,ed.,Rotterdam,2013,http://v2.nl/archive/articles/speculative realitiesblowupreader6/view.alectureseriesinBerlinorganisedbyArmenAvanessianandMelanieSehgal http://www.spekulativepoetik.de/speculativephilosophy.html,andmanymoreinformalgatherings. 4See:HitoSteyerl,AThingLikeYouAndMe,15April2010,http://www.eflux.com/journal/athinglikeyouand me/. 5Seeforsomeattemptstoremainfaithfultoamodulatedformofthatsubjectincontemporarycontinental philosophy:EduardoCadava,PeterConnor,andJeanLucNancy,WhoComesaftertheSubject?(London: Routledge,1991)IhaveelsewherewrittenonthenotionofaffectivelabouranditsproblematicapplicationinHardt andNegriswork. 6Steyerl,op.cit. 7SeeBenjaminNoys,ThePersistenceoftheNegative:aCritiqueofContemporaryContinentalTheory(Edinburgh: EdinburghUniversityPress,2010)NicolasBourriaud,RelationalAesthetics([Paris]:LesPressesduRel,2002). 8 DiedrichDiederichsen,Animation,Dereification,andtheNewCharmoftheInanimate,36July2012, http://linkme2.net/tt.IamtakingthedefinitionofpostFordistlabourfromHardtandNegriaswellasfromLazzarato asmeaningintellectual,immaterial,andcommunicativelabor.MichaelHardtandAntonioNegri,Empire, Cambridge,MassLondon:HarvardUniversityPress,2000,29MaurizioLazzarato,ImmaterialLabour,inRadical ThoughtinItalyAPotentialPolitics,MichaelHardtandPaoloVirno(Eds.),Minneapolis,Minn.London:University ofMinnesotaPress,1996,pp.132146. 9SeeA.R.Hochschild,TheManagedHeart:CommercializationofHumanFeeling(Berkeley,Calif.LosAngeles London:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2003). 10RenPollesch,LiebeIstKlterAlsDasKapital:Stcke,Texte,Interviews,C.Brocher(Ed.),Reinbek:Rowohlt Taschenbuch,2009.

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11Seeforageneraloverviewofthefieldforexample,DianaCooleandSamanthaFrost(Eds.),NewMaterialisms: Ontology,Agency,andPolitics,DukeUniversityPress,2010RickDolphijnandIrisvanderTuin,NewMaterialism: Interviews&Cartographies,OpenHumanitiesPress,2012. 12See,e.g.TimothyMortonsTheEcologicalThought,HarvardUniversityPress,2010,forarejectionofthisnotion infavourofecologyV2_:InstitutefortheUnstableMedia,op.cit.,p.42. 13Seeibid.,p.30. 14SeeBrianMassumi,SemblanceandEvent:ActivistPhilosophyandtheOccurrentArts,MITPress,2011,p.105. 15JaneBennett,VibrantMatter:aPoliticalEcologyofThings,Durham:DukeUniversityPress,2010,p.xiii. 16Ibid.,p.x. 17See:KarlMarx,EarlyWritings,London:Penguin,1975,p.390.SeealsoAlfredSchmidt,TheConceptofNature inMarx,trans.BenFowkes,NewLeftBooks,1971. 18Forexample,TheReturnoftheObjectattheBerlingallery,Invaliden1,curatedbyStefanieHesslerinJanuary 2013. 19SeeV2_:InstitutefortheUnstableMedia,op.cit.,p.26andKiaVahlands,DocumentaLeiterinCarolynChristov Bakargiev:berdiepolitischeIntentionderErdbeere,sueddeutsche.de,8June,2012,sec.kultur, http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/documentaleiterincarolynchristovbakargievueberdiepolitischeintentionder erdbeere1.1370514.V2_ 20Vahland,ibid.,p.15. 21DolphijnandvanderTuin,NewMaterialism:Interviews&Cartographies,p.91. 22SeeV2_:InstitutefortheUnstableMedia,op.cit.,p.40. 23MoritzGansen,CosmicDreams:TheEcologicalAestheticsofdOCUMENTA(13),presentedattheAestheticsof the21stCentury,Basel,n.d. 24SeeV2_:InstitutefortheUnstableMedia,op.cit.,p.37. 25GrahamHarman,OnVicariousCausation,Collapse2,SpeculativeRealism,March2007,p.189. 26InHegelsidealismthereisofcoursesomethingsuchasabsoluteknowledge. 27Harman,OnVicariousCausation,op.cit. 28Ibid.,p.190. 29Ibid.,195. 30GrahamHarman,TheThirdTable=DerdritteTisch,vol.85,100Notes100Thoughts/100Notizen100 Gedanken(Ostfildern,Germany:dOCUMENTA13/HatjeCantzVerlag,2012). 31SeealsoHarman,OnVicariousCausation,p.219. 32Ibid.,221. 33HerethereseemstoexistacertainproximitytotheaestheticpoliticsthatJacquesRancireconceptualiseson thegroundofhisanalysisofdifferentdistributionsofthesensible,withtheimportantdifferencethatRancirefirstof allexplicitlyfocusesontheaestheticsofartandthathefurtherrefusestoallowartaswellaspoliticstohaveany materialrealitybeyondthesubjectivelyperceivedforms,practicesandrelations.ForHarmanonthecontrary, materialitydoesinfluencethelevelofthesensual,butneverdirectly,i.e.notinanunmediatedway. 34Seeibid.,p.213. 35SeeespeciallyGrahamHarman,GuerrillaMetaphysics:PhenomenologyandtheCarpentryofThings,Chicago, Ill.:u.a.:OpenCourt,2005,butalsoHarmansvariousrecenttalksonart. 36Harman,OnVicariousCausation,op.cit.,p.220.

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37SeeHarman,GuerrillaMetaphysics,op.cit.,p.179. 38SeeGrahamHarmanArtandParadox,2012,http://vimeo.com/53793807Harman,TheThirdTable=Derdritte Tisch. 39Harman,GuerrillaMetaphysics,op.cit.,p.142. 40SeeImmanuelKant,TheCritiqueofJudgement,OxfordUniversityPress,2007,2. 41SeeBourriaud,RelationalAesthetics,p.85. 42AconnectionHarmanhimselfsuggests,seeGrahamHarmanArtandParadox,2012, http://vimeo.com/53793807. 43SeeQuentinMeillassoux,AfterFinitude:AnEssayontheNecessityofContingency,London:Continuum,2009, Chapter12,andMeillassouxs,TimeWithoutBecoming/ZeitOhneWerden,SPIKE35,2013,p.92. 44GrahamHarman,QuentinMeillassoux:PhilosophyintheMaking,EdinburghUniversityPress,2011,p.159. 45Meillassoux,AfterFinitude,op.cit.,p.204. 46Meillassoux,TimeWithoutBecoming/ZeitOhneWerden,102. 47Mallarm,Uncoupdeds 48QuentinMeillassoux,Lenombreetlasirne:undchiffrageduCoupdedsdeMallarm([Paris]:Fayard,2011), pp.16. 49Fordiscussionsofthebooksee:MichaelReid,ExNihilo,Mute,August2012, http://www.metamute.org/editorial/articles/exnihiloThomasH.Ford,QuentinMeillassoux,TheNumberandthe Siren,TheCanadianSocietyforContinentalPhilosophy,January2013,http://www.c scp.org/en/2013/01/06/quentinmeillassouxthenumberandthesiren.htmlAdamKotsko,QuentinMeillassouxand theCrackpotSublime,TheNewInquiry,May2012,http://thenewinquiry.com/essays/quentinmeillassouxandthe crackpotsublime/. 50AlainBadiou,FifteenThesesonContemporaryArt,LacanianInk23,2004, http://www.lacan.com/frameXXIII7.htmAlainBadiou,HandbookofInaesthetics,Stanford,Calif.:StanfordUniversity Press,2005. 51Ford,QuentinMeillassoux,TheNumberandtheSiren. 52JacquesRancire,Aesthetics,Inaesthetics,AntiAesthetics,inThinkAgain:AlainBadiouandtheFutureof Philosophy,PeterHallward(Ed.),London:Continuum,2004,p.218. 53SeeAlbertoToscanoontheproblemofconvergingspeculationandmaterialisminMeillassouxsphilosophy: AlbertoToscano,AgainstSpeculation,or,aCritiqueoftheCritiqueofCritique:ARemarkonQuentinMeillassouxs AfterFinitude(afterColletti),inTheSpeculativeTurn:ContinentalMaterialismandRealism,ed.LeviRBryant,Nick Srnicek,andGrahamHarman(Melbourne,Victoria,Australia:re.press,2011),8491. 54QuentinMeillassoux,TimeWithoutBecoming/ZeitOhneWerden,102.

5 comments Leave a message...

Best Community JJ Charlesworth

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3 days ago

The sleep of subjects begets objects. Sort of. This is a welcome start to a proper critical examination of the Object Oriented Ontology-Speculative Realism flare-up. But what Bromberg doesn't recognise is that the disintegration of the subject as a political and

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flare-up. But what Bromberg doesn't recognise is that the disintegration of the subject as a political and theoretical perspective is itself the grounding problem. If one takes the post-structuralist critique of subjectivity for granted - as Bromberg seems to - I'd argue that it can only lead to a prioritisation of objects. Bromberg doesn't have much to say on this - the shift from the discourse of the reified subject to the empowered object is only a matter of degree. Nor does Bromberg seem to know where she stands on environmentalism, and her commitment to 'anti-capitalism' is merely reactive; it doesn't question why OOO-SR should chime so readily at a time where the desire to transcend capitalism appears confused with a desire to transcend - or negate - being human. I'd argue that the political conservatism at the core of OOO-SR is only the logical progression of the poststructuralist degradation of the Subject. The initial concession that Bromberg makes is not to seriously question the credibility of the two 'totalisation' discourses she points to: the Foucault-Butler lineage that distrusts subjectivity as something which is only ever the 'effect' of subjection, on one hand; and the Immaterial/affective labour critiques which see Capital as allencroaching on subjects, who are always, for some reason, totally incapable of generating any distance from its operations.
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Diogenes Search Injun

> JJ Charlesworth

11 hours ago

Mr Charlesworth's comment is much more interesting than the article. In my view, so-called 'new' materialism looks more like, materialism ante-Marx, or even animism: http://ualresearchonline.arts.... I would say that it isn't just art, that is accorded exceptional capacities in an otherwise undifferentiated human objectivity. The very activity of academics' use of language to develop these ideas, discussing them, Ms Bromberg's writing this article, and metamute choosing to publish it, are all subjective, AND objective acts. I'm sure that numerous people, particularly those outside the artworld/academic theory racket, could readily name many other exceptions. The notion of 'post-humanism', associated with these ideas, is premature, given that so much theory/philosophy is an ongoing obstacle to understanding what is specifically human animality, namely, a psychophysical unity that uses language. Marx and Wittgenstein are much more useful for that.

arthur bueno 1

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5 days ago

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where are the footnotes from 8 to 53?

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josie

4 days ago

Footnotes are back now! Sorry, we had trouble with the CMS on this article.
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jordi torrent

5 days ago

This might be of interest to the readers of this article "...Even as the content and details of the proposals diverge, a common denominator among them is a revaluing of matter and objects, and a corresponding adjustment of the scale and centrality of the human subject...." http://www.brooklynrail.org/20...
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