Critical Proximity: Paul O’Neill × Contemporary Art Centre

On Thursday, 5 November, at 6 pm, the Cinema Hall of the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) will host the third event in the public talk and lecture series ‘Critical Proximity’. Irish curator, artist, writer and educator Paul O’Neill will present his latest book, Beyond Caring: Para-hosting as Curatorial Escape.

What can established art institutions learn from the approaches to invitation, hosting and publicness adopted by small-scale organisations? In the book, O’Neill explores how new forms of invitation can reimagine host–guest relations and open up escape routes from fixed institutional roles. Moving between speculation, critique and proposition, he introduces ‘para-hosting’ as a cooperative methodology of generosity and self-organisation without absorption: a form of escape that enables transformative possibilities beyond existing power structures, both within and beyond institutions.

The event will consist of a talk of a 30-minute talk, with readings from the book accompanied by images, followed by a conversation with the audience.

The event will be moderated by philosopher and curator Edvardas Šumila and will be held in English.

Admission is free, but places are limited, so please arrive early.