Trevor Paglen, “You’ve Just Been F*cked by PSYOPS: UFOs, Magic, Mind Control, Electronic Warfare, and the Future of Media”

Join us at e-flux on Thursday, October 24th at 7pm for “You’ve Just Been F*cked by PSYOPS,” a lecture-performance by Trevor Paglen followed by a conversation with artist Joshua Citarella presented in partnership with Protocinema and Art21. The event coincides with Paglen’s essay “Society of the Psyop,” being published in three parts this fall in e-flux Journal. This collaboration brings together three organizations with long relationships to the artist and aligned dedication to critical reflections on art and politics.

With AI-generated content, social media influence operations, micro-targeted advertising, and ubiquitous surveillance becoming the dominant form of visual culture, we have entered an era of PSYOP capitalism. This era is characterized by hallucinations and manipulations intended to influence our senses, perceptions, and beliefs. This talk delves into the history of secret military, intelligence, and technology programs that have paved the way for our increasingly strange present.

Art21 is the world’s leading source to learn directly from the artists of our time. The mission of Art21 is to educate and expand access to contemporary art through the production of documentary films, resources, and public programs. See more at art21.org.

Protocinema is an itinerant cross-cultural art organization that commissions and presents site-aware art around the world. Its purpose is to support dialogue between cultures on equal footing and create opportunities for listening and expression. Protocinema works towards an understanding of difference across regions through its exhibitions, commissions, public programs, screening tours, mentorship, the Protocinema Emerging Curator Series (PECS), and Protodispatch, a monthly digital publication edited with Laura Raicovich. Protocinema was founded in 2011 by Mari Spirito. See more at Protocinema.org.

For general and press inquiries, contact program@e-flux.com.

Accessibility  
–Two flights of stairs lead up to the building’s front entrance at 172 Classon Avenue.  
–For elevator access, please RSVP to program@e-flux.com. The building has a freight elevator which leads into the e-flux office space. Entrance to the elevator is nearest to 180 Classon Ave (a garage door). We have a ramp for the steps within the space.  
–e-flux has an ADA-compliant bathroom. There are no steps between the Screening Room and this bathroom.