The Holberg Lecture by Griselda Pollock: "Art, Thought and Difficulty"

Are prefixes feminist, postcolonial, international, queer, social for histories of art labelling or obligations responding to lived emergencies?
My art writing is, they say, difficult. Necessarily so. Museal or academic keepers of cultural value and memory deem feminist, postcolonial, international, queer, social political-theoretical interventions of the last fifty years alien, distorting intrusions into a History of Art that disowns its own class/race/gender exclusivity and indifference that have real effects. Reviewing examples from my Holberg-the pandemic-year in writing, I make the case for my title and prefixes as obligations.
Griselda Pollock is Professor of Social and Critical Histories of Art and Director of CentreCATH (Centre for Cultural Analysis, Theory & History) at the University of Leeds. She was awarded the 2020 Holberg Prize for her groundbreaking contributions to feminist art history and cultural studies.
PROGRAM
08:08 Welcome by Ellen Mortensen, Academic Director of the Holberg Prize
14:30 Griselda Pollock’s Holberg Lecture starts

[@pflowerink43]

wow! that was hard hitting, i appreciate the sharing of knowledge. i am going to walk and reflect on all of this.

[@fishermann1102]

Brilliant!

[@thuouc8075]

บ

[@josedejuan1]

All over the place. For someone so in "tune" with colonialism and patriarchal art history it's astounding how easily she fills any gaps between all the bits and bobs -taken from her own books and lectures- assuming all kinds of interpretations, using the usual shorthand that passes for knowledge in most schools: identity trumps quality/relevance. From using the misnomer "Spanish Flu " to calling blatant copying of art pieces "overwriting" if done by the 'right' people. She accepts Freudian interpretations of early memories and Oedipal complex while atthe same time claiming photographic technique itself! was meant to obliterate dark tones. Throw in Opera, old films, concentration camp obvious effectsand claim they belong only in one camp while ignoring the current colonial trends and racist history of many of her admired outsiders. If only these type of boilerplate would help to actually create change in the countries and cultures where it is rampant instead of being an easy card to get another grant for a show at the Tate so they can claim enlightement.

[@lucylepchani1230]

Superb. Thank you.