In the flow

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This paperback edition first published by Verso 2018 First published by Verso 2016 © Boris Groys 2016, 2018 The publisher would like to thank various publications that previously published the following chapters: 'Installing Communism', Utopia and Reality: El Lissitzky/I/ya and Emilia Kabakov, Eindhoven: Van Abbe Museum, 2012; 'Clement Greenberg, \"Art and Culture: Critical Essays\"', The Books That Shaped Art History, London: Thames & Hudson, 2013; 'Global Conceptualism Revisited,' Moscow Symposium: Conceptualism Revisited, Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2012; Harje Cantz, 'Google: Words beyond Grammar', roo Notes - Thoughts No. 046, Kassel: DOKUMENTA 13, 2012; 'WikiLeaks: The Revolt of the Clerks, or Universality as Conspiracy', OPEN, Cahier on Art and the Public Domain, Vol. 10, No. 22, Rotterdam: Nai Publishers, 2011. All rights reserved The moral rights of the author have been asserted 13579108642 Verso UK: 6 Meard Street, London Wrf oEG US: 20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, Brooklyn, NY rr201 versobooks.com Verso is the imprint of New Left Books ISBN-13: 978-r-78478-351-8 [SBN-13: 978-1-78478-348-8 (UK EBK) ISBN-13: 978-r-78478-349-5 (US EBK) British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library The Library of Congress Has Cataloged the Hardback Edition As Follows: Names: Groxis, Boris, author. Title: In the How I Boris Groys. Description: London; New York: Verso, (2016] I Includes index. Identifiers: LCCN 20150425811 ISBN 9781784783501 (hardback: alk. paper) I ISBN 9781784783495 (eISBN : US) I ISBN 9781784783488 (eISBN : UK) Subjects: LCSH: Aesthetics. I Art - Philosophy. Classification: LCC BH39 .G698 2016 I DDC 1rr/.85 -dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.govho15042581 Typeset in Sabon MT by Hewer Text UK, Ltd, Edinburgh Printed in the UK by CPI Mackays Ltd

Contents Introduction: The Rheology of Art I I. Entering the Flow 3 2. Under the Gaze of Theory 23 3. On Art Activism 43 4. Becoming Revolutionary: On Kazimir Malevich 61 5. Installing Communism 75 6. Clement Greenberg: An Engineer of Art 7. On Realism IOI 8. Global Conceptualism Revisited 9. Modernity and Contemporaneity: II5 121 Mechanical vs. Digital Reproduction IO. Google: Words beyond Grammar 137 II. WikiLeaks: The Revolt of the Clerks, 147 or Universality as Conspiracy 157 12. Art on the Internet 171 Index 189

'Written with Groys's signature In the early twentieth century, art penchant for outrageous provocation, breathtaking and its institutions came under associative leaps, and productive fire from a new democratic and paradox, these essays are a egalitarian spirit. Critics decried challenge, and a delight, to read' the notion of works of art as sacred objects and subsequently - Terry Smith, author of What they would be understood Is Contemporary Art? merely as things. It was an attack on realism, as well as on the 'In the Row not only aptly traditional preservative mission describes Boris Groys's brilliantly of the museum. Acclaimed art astute state of mind when writing theorist Boris Groys argues this this book, but also signals the led to the development of 'direct incredible journey the reader will realism': an art that would not take around some of the most produce objects, but practices pervasive cultural constructs of our time: the museum, the archive, (from performance art to relational and the Internet ••. a refreshing aesthetics) that would not survive. approach to art theory that opens up the possibilities for ideas to But for more than a century now, remain mutable while being put every advance in this direction into practice' has been quickly followed by new means of maintaining art's - Kate Fowle, Chief Curator, privileged position. Garage Museum of Contemporary Art In this major new work, Groys charts the paradoxes produced VEI.SO by this tension, and explores art Philosophy / Art £9.99 / $18.95 / $22.99CAN in the age of the great thing-less ver90booka.com medium: the Internet. Cover design: Evsything Studio BORIS GROYS is Professor of Aesthetics, Art History, and Media ISBN 9781784783518 Theory at the Center for Art and Media Technology in Karlsruhe and 90000 > the Global Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Science, NYU. He has published numerous books Including The Tota/ Art of Stallnlsm, On the New, and The Communist Postscript. 9 781784 783518