This workshop, combining theory and practice, investigates the dynamics of production and diffusion in the fields of fashion and cultural industries, in the face of the challenges of contemporary capitalism. It explores the invisible links between our creative actions and the structures of the world that surround them.
Over the course of a week, participants will explore the following question within a collective experience: how, within a divided capitalist society marked by relations of domination, can we create without reproducing dominant norms, and affirm other ways of producing, thinking, and sharing?
Drawing on socio-historical and cultural theories, with grounding in collective discussions integrating their shared experiences and expectations, students will navigate day by day the cycle of creation—from conception to diffusion—with attention to those who embody it: who produces, buys, distributes, watches, archives? What assumptions inform our discourse and how do they shape our practices? We will reflect on the desire an object can generate, as well as the collective imaginaries it nourishes, in relation to its modes of conception, commercialization, profitability, and accessibility.
We will anchor our reflections in practice. We will thus develop common methodologies and tools, archive our discussions, and test production systems designed collectively. The workshop will provide participants with a wide range of resources including books, zines, shopping baskets, fabrics, recovered objects, and other joyful materials.
Assessment is based on participation in the five days of the workshop and on the degree of active engagement of the student.