Contemporary Talks
A free teach-in where participants learn the history of Zen in America and learn to identify its influence in every day visual culture.
How did Zen, once an obscure, insular philosophical practice within Buddhism, become the the juggernaut of the American spiritual marketplace that it is today? In this free teach-in from Discrit’s Chris Fernald, we’ll trace Zen’s journey from Japan to America and ask, what does Zen mean and do in the US today, and why does it appeal to us? Can anything be Zen? In Zen Forever, we’ll theorize Zen’s enduring appeal in America and examine its many faces, from religion and philosophy, to art, literature, and design, to even the hushed simplicity of your iPhone screen. No familiarity with Zen required.
This in-person talk will take place inside. Masks required inside and are optional outside.
Parking is free in the Carriage Works lot at Bankhead & Means streets. You can access the lot via Bankhead Avenue and proceed past the parking attendant booth.
A credit-only bar is available to patrons 21+.
Discrit (“critical discourse” / “discourse critique”) is an initiative of public knowledge-sharing and discussion. Spanning lectures, seminar-style discussions, critiques, and screenings, Discrit provides the public with programming dedicated to explorations of contemporary art and culture and free, university-quality art education. Discrit is Joey Molina and Chris Fernald.
Chris Fernald is an artist, writer, and cultural programmer. He is the Co-Founder of Discrit and a Graduate Student in the History of Art at Williams College. His work has been exhibited in group shows in New York and Mexico City, and his poetry and art criticism have seen publication in both Canada and the US. His writing and creative work often examine how modernity’s crises disassemble and re-constitute notions of personhood. Recurring subjects of interest include techno-spirituality, post-human cosmologies, lifestyle minimalism, animism, and the digital’s relation to the afterlife. He received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2013.
Joey Molina is a multi-disciplinary artist and scholar working between video, installation, and collage. Their work engages with visual culture as material, object, and ephemera. Molina’s research interests include horror films, queer theory, and new media. They received their BA from Georgia State University in 2013 and will be on track for their MA in Film and Video at Georgia State University in Fall 2020.
We encourage you to share your images using #atlantacontemporary. Read our full photography policy.
