Anton Kats

The seminar listens into the historical foundations of fascist politics and explores how the rise of fascist ideologies can be addressed through an experimental sound curriculum. Accordingly, this theory and practice seminar synthesises pedagogies of civic engagement and feminist anti-fascism with the applied study of sound and music.

The seminar asks how to resist fascism through the study of sound?

Expanding on the often misunderstood terminology of anti-fascism as an exclusively militant and heroic opposition, the seminar will rehearse non-heroic forms of resistance found in often undervalued, ordinary forms of both political work and musicianship. Emphasising solidarity, collaboration, endurance, voluntary organisation and failure as building blocks of political practice, the seminar will extend musical practice and theory to develop an operational concept of 'harmonic intelligence', exploring the potential of sound and rhythm as a spatial strategy of resistance.

Operating as an open laboratory the seminar embraces sonic experimentation as a starting point for dynamic and open-ended practice and invites to join forces in the applied study of sound, music and anti-fascism. Through a synthesis of theoretical discussion and sonic practice, the seminar offers a playful space in which to develop new or continue existing artistic projects. 

Students are also invited to experiment with sound modules and synthesizers, produce music, sound and radio broadcasts, form collaborative and individual projects and use the block seminars time to further develop and rehearse their practice. 

The seminar assignment envisages distinctive contributions developed over the course of the study which may include, but are not limited to, writing, composing, performing, organising, curating, producing, planning, artistic experimentation and research. The seminar will also continue the collaboration with Refuge Worldwide Radio, offering participating students the unique opportunity to develop and present a collaborative Spatial Strategies broadcast on Refuge Worldwide Radio at the end of the semester.

Main Sources:

Adania Shibli (2020) Minor Detail
bell hooks (2000) teaching to transgress
Ewa Majewska (2021) Feminist Antifascism: Counterpublics of the Common
Göran Olsson (2014) Concerning Violence
Jonathan Glazer (2023) The Zone of Interest
Joshua Oppenheimer (2018) The Act of Killing
Michael Vavrus (2022) Teaching Anti-Fascism
Milford Graves (2018) Full Mantis
Paul Kivel (2017) Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice
Pauline Oliveros (2022) Quantum Listening
Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman (2021) Neptune Frost
Sun Ra (2005) The Immeasurable Equation
Tammy Kovich (2023) Antifascism Against Machismo
Tara Rodgers and Jonathan Sterne (2011) The poetics of signal processing.
W.A. Mathieu (1997) Harmonic Experience