The victories of the populist right in Europe are more than just a proverbial “return of the repressed.” The lack of a strong left transforms politics as much as the purported lack of alternatives emanating from its center. Populism’s grey zone makes possible all kinds of crossovers. In this post-socialist, post-democratic space, there are so many new hybrids: appropriations of “progressive” cultural or activist languages by “reactionaries,” strange new amalgams of community spirit and indifference, solidarity and discrimination. How to deal with this situation, its complexities, and its contradictions? Are we witnessing the birth of a “liberal” or “civic” post-fascism with new qualities compatible with individual entrepreneurialism and private life, heir to the interwar “soft” fascist legacy? Could it be that Europe has been hostage to a post-fascist condition for decades? Can one even make such sweeping generalizations to talk about the everyday “micro-fascisms” at work in our lives, and can they even be called “fascisms” as such? Or is there something like a “post-fascist” business model, involving inner-European colonialism, demographics, and migration, inscribed into both material and intellectual histories? Such are some of the vexing questions from the growing list to be discussed during Our Little Fascisms. In-depth, one-on-one interviews provide concentrated insights into contributors’ thinking on the present and the past. Common questions and differences are further explored in panel discussions bringing together all the participants.

With Lars Cuzner, Tobias Ginsburg, Ishay Landa, Ewa Majewska, Renata Salecl, Tiago Saraiva, Oxana Timofeeva, Nikola Vukobratović, and others

Followed by performances by Mazzaj & Ausländerbehörde and Oliver Zahn/HAUPTAKTION

Introduction by Ekaterina Degot (Director and Chief Curator, steirischer herbst, Graz) and David Riff (Curator for Discourse, steirischer herbst, Graz/Berlin)

Link

https://2018.steirischerherbst.at/en/volksfronten/content/our-little-fascisms