THE OLD BRAND NEW

THE OLD BRAND NEW
A multidisciplinary lecture series revolving around
the concepts ‘old’ and ‘new’ in the arts.

Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam
Leidseplein 26 Amsterdam
TEL +31 (0)20 624 23 11

www.theoldbrandnew.nl

In the arts, the concept ‘new’ is an ideal as well as a curse. The avant-garde has been declared dead and ‘the cult of the new’ is past its peak. The pursuit of absolute originality and total innovation has given way to concepts such as remix and postproduction, eclecticism and syncretism. Is ‘new’ still permitted, how new is neo, how innovative is retro? By looking at the term ‘new’ in light of ‘old’ subjects such as virtuosity, beauty, knowledge and idealism, the lecture series The Old Brand New proposes to free ‘new’ of its ‘stale’ image and present it in its full complexity.

The multidisciplinary series is held on a monthly basis from January to September 2009 at Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam (City Theatre Amsterdam). The Old Brand New – a title in which the word ‘brand’ may be read in two different ways – does not concentrate on a single art form, but concerns culture in its broadest sense. Thinkers and practitioners with backgrounds in disciplines ranging from fine art, theatre and dance to architecture, from the Netherlands and abroad, reflect from varying perspectives on an ‘old’ concept that constantly resurfaces in the arts and is thereby made anew. On each evening, two speakers examine a particular theme in depth, followed by a discussion in an informal atmosphere. Previous speakers include: Marina Gržinic, Michael Uwemedimo, Joep van Lieshout, Bracha L. Ettinger, Clémentine Deliss, Luc Tuymans, Boris Charmatz, R. Radhakrishnan, André Lepecki and Trinh T. Minh-ha.

All lectures are registered on the website www.theoldbrandnew.nl

Upcoming Lectures:

14 May New Idealism
With the Otolith Group: Kodwo Eshun & Anjalika Sagar and Marianne van Kerkhoven

22 June New Beauty
With Marina Warner and Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster

15 September What is New?
With Dick Hebdige and Keith Sawyer

The series was initiated and developed by de Appel arts centre, If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part Of Your Revolution, Research group Art Practice and Development at the Amsterdam School of the Arts, LISA, Studium Generale of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, DAI/Master Programme/ArtEZ Institute of the Arts and Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam.

The series was made possible through contributions from the Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, The Netherlands Fund for Performing Arts and De Groene Amsterdammer

For more information see www.theoldbrandnew.nl.