As contemporary art shifts its focus from form to identity, does it still challenge the viewer, or has it become a closed loop of self-referential politics? Elias Diwan PO ’25 argues that contemporary art’s fixation on representation has turned inclusion into a substitute for communication, sidelining quality and meaningful engagement with the work itself.
Tag: Racial Identity
Thinking Its Presence conference confronts violence inflicted upon BIPOC psyche
From March 30 through April 2, the interdisciplinary conference “Thinking Its Presence: Racial Vertigo, BlackBrown Feelings, and Significantly Problematic Objects” took place at Pomona College. The 40+ events in the conference included BIPOC scholars, activists, artists and authors. Attendees engaged in workshops and panels combining aesthetic, spiritual, performance-based and conversational approaches to explore the violence inflicted upon the psyche and affective states of BIPOC individuals.
OPINION: Combating prejudice against immigrants starts with immigrants ourselves
If immigrants want to change the harmful expectations imposed on them, they must first accept themselves, argues Phillip Kong PO ’24.
OPINION: My teacher lied to me about being Black
Educators who co-opt racial identities to advance themselves are incredibly hypocritical, writes Kristen Lu CM ’24.