Fahim Amir
Expanded Writing: Philosophy and Art
22. 7. – 3. 8. 24
About the course
The course Expanded Writing: Philosophy and Artwill introduce students to various forms of writing as thinking. Styles of writing and thinking are linked, and may differ profoundly: analytical, contemplative, descriptive, empathic, detached, speculative, playful, overwhelming, seductive, humorous, close-knit, sweeping, associative, atmospheric, poetic, phenomenological, genealogical, deconstructive, symptomatic and much more. Here writing is part of a collective search for other words and other ways of speaking. It is a question of perceiving subtleties in the internal and external qualities of being, of articulating them and of adopting a position. In this course, writing, understood as an exercise in thinking, will have recourse to philosophy, and will turn to art as a sphere for possible further reflection.
The focus will be on students' individual writing praxis, with support offered in one‑to‑one conversations. Based on prior knowledge and individual interests, a continuous role will be played by collective reading, reflection and discussion of texts from the suggested reading list. It will be similarly important for students to share and discuss their own experiences of writing, thinking and reading. Questions of form will be of utmost importance, covering dimensions of clarity and elegance, economy of expression, accessibility and intelligibility, apposite choice of words, use of transitional passages, appropriate language level, sensitive writing, attention to proportion and overall form – to mention only a few.
Prerequisite is readiness to work in a group. Basic knowledge of philosophy is desirable, though not a condition. The course is open to experienced writers and interested newcomers; curiosity, open-mindedness and eagerness to explore are expected. Not only reading, but also writing, has the power to change a person permanently.
key data
- Venue
- Festung Hohensalzburg
- Date
- 22. 7. – 3. 8. 24
- Teaching language
- English (German possible)
- What to bring
- Laptop and a list of writing – in any form – that you find inspiring / moving / challenging.
- Maximum number of participants
- 20
- Co-teacher
- Lisa Moravec
- Participation Fee
- 670 Euro (reduced 495 Euro)
Fahim Amir
Fahim Amir has taught philosophy, critical studies, scientific and creative writing at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, ArtCenter College of Design Pasadena, University of Applied Arts Vienna, University of Campinas São Paulo, University of Arts Linz, University Innsbruck, Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, and more.
Fahim Amir is a philosopher and author living in Vienna, teaching at universities and art academies in Europe and the Americas. As a theorist and writer, Amir frequently engages in intense forms of collaboration with artists, curators and cultural producers. Amir’s research areas are nature and culture, art, urbanism, visual culture, and questions of coloniality and cohabitation. He coedited Transcultural Modernisms (Sternberg Press, 2013) and wrote the afterword to the German edition of Donna Haraway’s The Companion Species Manifesto (Merve, 2016). His regular philosophy podcast “Hirn and Amir” is broadcast on the radio station Oe1. Amir’s book Schwein and Zeit (Being and Swine) was listed among the top ten best nonfiction books by Die Zeit and ZDF, was selected as one of the best German books of the year by the Goethe Institut and the Frankfurt Book Fair, and was shortlisted for the Prix littéraire François Sommer in 2023.
It has been translated into English (2020), Persian (2021), French (2022), and chapters of it into Chinese, Arabic and Turkish. Amir authored the Manifesto for the Solidarity of Non-Humans and Humans in Urban Space, created for the ARCH+ exhibition Cohabitation (Berlin, 2021). Amir has written monologues and plays for opera (Staatsoper Stuttgart, 2020), theater (Burgtheater, 2020), and film (Aubrey Plaza, 2023). In 2022, he co-curated the Hydrospektive — a fluid festival with seven evenings of concerts, readings and performances on water. (Outer Alster Lake, Hamburg, 2022) Recent publications include contributions for the Hammer Museum (Los Angeles, 2022), the 58th Carnegie International (Pittsburgh, 2022), mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (Vienna, 2022), and lectures at the Venice Biennale Architettura (Venice, 2023) and We the Youth – Keith Haring Lecture Series (New York, 2024).
