Julieta Aranda Books

The internet does not exist. Maybe it did exist only a short time ago, but now it only remains as a blur, a cloud, a friend, a deadline, a redirect, or a 404. If it ever existed, we couldn't see it. Because it has no shape. It has no face, just this name that describes everything and nothing at the same time. Yet we are still trying to climb onboard, to get inside, to be part of the network, to get in on the language game, to show up on searches, to appear to exist. But we will never get inside of something that isn't there. All this time we've been bemoaning the death of any critical outside position, we should have taken a good look at information networks. Just try to get in. You can't. Networks are all edges, as Bruno Latour points out. We thought there were windows but actually they're mirrors. And in the meantime we are being faced with more and more—not just information, but the world itself.ContributorsJulian Assange, Franco “Bifo” Berardi, Benjamin Bratton, Diedrich Diederichsen, Keller Easterling, Rasmus Fleischer, Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, Ursula K. Heise, Brian Kuan Wood, Bruno Latour, Geert Lovink, Patricia MacCormack, Metahaven, Gean Moreno, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Jon Rich, Hito Steyerle-flux journal Series edited by Julieta Aranda, Brian Kuan Wood, Anton Vidokle

What Was I Thinking? serves as an initiation into the realm of thought. Jalal Toufic, with his analytical mind, creates an open-ended "summa" that explores the arts as a privileged site for thinking, even amidst inevitable failures. He juxtaposes his insights with texts from traditional religions and mystics, achieving a serene detachment and joy in thinking reminiscent of Nietzsche's understanding. Toufic stands out as one of the most original thinkers today, embracing the challenge posed by Heidegger in What Is Called Thinking? His exploration ventures into uncharted artistic territories, delving into their layers, paradoxes, and inherent inaccessibility. This endeavor requires immense courage and unique freedom, allowing his mind to pursue unpredictable conclusions, ensuring his writing remains relevant. His work resonates with the spirit of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Nietzsche's breakthroughs, establishing Toufic as a significant intellectual force.

This book began as a two-part issue of e-flux journal devoted to the question: What is contemporary art? First, and most obviously: why is this question not asked? That is to say, why do we simply leave it to hover in the shadow of attempts at critical summation in the grand tradition of twentieth-century artistic movements? A single hegemonic “ism” has replaced clearly distinguishable movements and grand narratives. But what exactly does it mean to be working under the auspices of this singular ism?“Widespread usage of the term 'contemporary' seems so self-evident that to further demand a definition of 'contemporary art' may be taken as an anachronistic exercise in cataloguing or self-definition. At the same time, it is no coincidence that this is usually the tenor of such large, elusive questions: it is precisely through their apparent self-evidence that they cease to be problematic and begin to exert their influence in hidden ways; and their paradox, their unanswerability begins to constitute a condition of its own, a place where people work.”e-flux journal: What Is Contemporary Art? puts the apparent simplicity and self-evident term into doubt, asking critics, curators, artists, and writers to contemplate the nature of this catchall or default category.ContributorsJulieta Aranda, Brian Kuan Wood, Anton Vidokle, Cuauhtémoc Medina, Boris Groys, Raqs Media Collective, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Hu Fang, Jörg Heiser, Martha Rosler, Zdenka Badovinac, Carol Yinghua Lu, Dieter Roelstraete, and Jan Verwoerte-flux journal Series edited by Julieta Aranda, Brian Kuan Wood, Anton Vidokle