Syllabus Reading Group #24: A New Contract for Syllabus - with Jesse Jones
In January 2025, the current contract for the artwork Syllabus will come to an end. Over the past years, we’ve organized 23 reading groups, various workshops, an 8‑hour online gathering with Silvia Federici during COVID, a summer school, and multiple reading residencies at Kunsthal Gent. With an almost monthly programme, we have built a vibrant platform together that has had a significant influence on the development and spirit of Kunsthal Gent as an organisation.
As this contract period concludes, we look ahead together with Jesse Jones: what shape will the new contract take? Together with us and with a legal expert, Jesse is exploring how Syllabus can evolve further. Key questions for the new contract include:
• How can we take into account labour rights and care work that goes into sustaining the artwork’s activities?
• How many gatherings will we organize during the next contract period?
• How do we articulate the autonomy of the artwork as a physical object?
• How do the existing contract and the Endless Exhibition Foster Care Contract align?
On January 23, 2025, at 17:30 Brussels time, we will host a Syllabus gathering with Jesse Jones, who will join online while we also gather live at Kunsthal Gent. During this session:
• We will do a close-reading of the existing contract
• We will gather feedback on the past years of the work and reading group
• We will begin drafting notes for the new contract together
We also invite you to participate and contribute to shaping a new reading list (syllabus) for the coming period. Do you have ideas for books, texts, or themes we should explore? And/or would you like to host one of the upcoming reading groups? Let us know via the registration link.