The notion of aesthetic autonomy consciously and unconsciously coheres the terms of most contemporary artistic and cultural discourse. Aesthetic autonomy fortifies the very boundaries of “art,” distinguishing it as a sovereign sphere that stands apart from mere life and mere society. Some with even more avowed progressive positions argue that this distinction is the source of art’s negativity, the condition of possibility of its capacity to disarm the capitalist matrices of instrumentalist reason that otherwise permeate all realms of social reality. Though various economic shifts and aesthetic ruptures have occurred over the last few centuries, the logic of autonomy continues to persist as a structuring imaginary in both reactionary and critical currents of thought and practice.
This panel attends to the limitations and complexities of this uniquely modern concept, situating its drives historically as constitutive of the metaphysical arsenal of racial-colonial-bourgeois formations. Heeding film theorist Clyde R. Taylor’s call to “break the aesthetic contract” installed by global capitalism’s ideological regimes and mythic self-justifications, the speakers on this panel explore what occurs when cultural workers attempt to think and practice beyond the hegemonic paradigm of aesthetic autonomy. Guided by traditions of black radical, anti-colonial, and anti-imperial aesthetic production, the panel considers various contexts in which this myth has been exceeded and what possibilities such traditions might open up in the present moment.
The respective presentations will be folllowed by a moderated discussion and Q&A with the audience.
This event is held on the occasion of Combat Breathing Vol II: A Symposium on Aesthetics and Politics - a multisite platform, spanning film screenings, critical discussions, and focused workshops, that unfolds throughout October 2026 at Anthology Film Archives, New York University, and Wendy's Subway. Curated by KJ Abudu and Adam HajYahia.
Organized by Critical Praxis Collaborative and sponsored by Art and Art Professions NYU Steinhardt and the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality
