Doctoral Students
Research summary
To Make a World: Art and Propaganda in the 21st Century
Departing from an artistic practice that is invested in the relation between art, democracy and propaganda, Jonas Staal's research project explores the ways art has been made subservient to dominant interests of power. Through visual and theoretical means Staal aims to articulate the ways in which art can engage in constructing new understandings of power.
Biography
Jonas Staal (1981, NL) studied monumental art in Enschede (NL) and Boston (US). Staal’s work focuses on the relationship between art, democracy and propaganda. He is founder of the artistic and political organization New World Summit that develops alternative parliaments for stateless political movements.
Staal’s work includes public interventions, exhibitions, theater performances, and publications. His work was exhibited at the 7th Berlin Biennale (2012) and the 31st São Paulo Biennale (2014). The first overview of the New World Summit was shown in Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana (2015) and the first overview of his school, the New World Academy in Centraal Museum Utrecht NL (2015).
His publications Post-propaganda (Fonds BKVB, 2009) and Power?... To Which People?! (Jap Sam Books, 2010) provide the theoretical basis for his work. He recently edited the publication Stateless Democracy (BAK, 2015) on the cultural revolution in West-Kurdistan.
Staal is currently involved in a collaboration with the autonomus government of West-Kurdistan in Syria to construct the first public parliament in the region.
Individual projects
Demand The Impossible
Jonas Staal contributes the essay 'Eis het onmogelijke' (Demand the Impossible) to Issue 3, 2018 of Dutch language journal De Groene Amsterdammer.
Amsterdam (NL)
After the Fact. Propaganda in the 21st Century
–Jonas Staal participates in this group exhibition, curated by Stephanie Weber, that looks at the concept of propaganda in order to broaden its…
Lenbachhaus, Munich (DE)
New Unions: DiEM25 Athens
New Unions, organized by Jonas Staal in collaboration with Democracy in Europe Movement 2025 (DiEM25), is an artistic and political campaign that departs…
Sporting Basket Arena, Athens, GRL‘Espace du débat, Tout foutre en l‘air
–Jonas Staal participates in this group exhibition.
Pavillon de l‘Arsenal, Paris (FR)Overtime-Third Time
Jonas Staal participates in this day of debates and actions around the idea of Europe organized by European Alternatives.
MAXXI Rome, (IT)Utopia/Dystopia
–Jonas Staal participates in this group exhibtiion that reveals how the dichotomy between utopia and dystopia reflects a time of paradoxical acceleration, where…
MAAT, Lisbon (PT)Closed World, New Worlds
Jonas Staal gives a lecture at the Royal Academy of Art as part of the Studium Generale programme.
Royal Academy of Art, The Hague (NL)Art and Democracy
In this lecture Jonas Staal analyses the failures of democracy and shows his attempts to imagine alternatives.
Maastricht University (NL)Assemblism
‘Assemblism’ an essay written by Jonas Staal in the framework of his PhD research is published by e-flux #80
New Unions: DiEM25, Amsterdam
New Unions, organized by Jonas Staal in collaboration with DiEM25, is an artistic and political campaign that departs from the current political, economic,…
Paradiso Amsterdam
After Europe
–This solo exhibition of Jonas Staal, curated by iLiana Fokianaki, centers on the current political, economic, and humanitarian crises in Europe.
State of Concept, Tousa Botsari 19, Athens (GR)New World Summit: Stateless Democracy
–The New World Summit, organized by Jonas Staal, presents ‘New World Summit: Stateless Democracy’, a three-day assembly that explores the possibilities of uncoupling…
Utrecht University, Domplein 29, Utrecht (NL)IDEOLOGY = FORM
Jonas Staal contributes the essay 'IDEOLOGY = FORM' to Issue 69 in e-flux Journal.
New York (US)
Being Political (in art and design)
Andrea Stultiens presents her PhD reseach at this symposium that questions and discusses how artists and designers can intervene in the political domain…
Zuiderdiep, Groningen (NL)
New World Summit Stateless State
–The 4th New World Summit, an artistic and political organization founded by Jonas Staal, takes place in a parliament built inside the KVS,…
KVS, Brussels (BE)New World Embassy: Azawad
–Jonas Staal and Moussa Ag Assarid present the collaborative project New World Embassy: Azawad.
BAK, Utrecht (NL)How Much Fascism? - The Netherlands Part I & II
This lecture by Jonas Staal and Wendelien van Oldenborgh takes place at Tranzit.
Budapest (HU)The Need for Practice
–Jonas Staal participates in this programme curated by Judit Angel at Tranzit.
Budapest (HU)Beyond Allegories
This is a project by Jonas Staal, Ann Demeester, Carolien Gehrels and Hans van Houwelingen.
Amsterdam City Council, Amsterdam (NL)Art Under A Dangerous Star
–Jonas Staal participates in this group exhibition curated by Judit Angel.
Tranzit, Budapest (HU)Invisible Violence
–Jonas Staal participates in this project curated by Zoran Erić, Blanca de la Torre and Seamus Kealy.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade (RS)Politics Within
–The film and installation Art, Property of Politics (2010) by Jonas Staal will be presented in the exhibition Politics Within:
Center for Contemporary Art Celje, SloveniaSymposium 'Whose Terms?'
A lecture held by Jonas Staal during the symposium 'Whose Terms?'. This symposium, will focus on key terms that have come to define…
New Museum, New YorkNew World Pedagogy
A lecture held by Jonas Staal as part of the “Critical Pedagogies of the 21stCentury” program.
Piet Zwart Institute, RotterdamDon't Embarrass the Bureau
–Jonas Staal participates in this exhibition organized by New World Summit and 0. [Nulpunt] project. New World Summit is a project led by…
Lunds Konsthall, Lunds (SE)
New World Academy
–Artist Jonas Staal and BAK, basis voor actuele kunst conjoin their efforts to launch a new academy that invites political organizations invested in…
BAK, Utrecht (NL)Art after Democratism
–Solo exhibition by Jonas Staal in the United Arab Emirates.
Traffic, Dubai (UAE)
New World Summit
Jonas Staal organizes and gives a lecture at the New World Summit.
Aalmarkt 21, De Waag, Leiden (NL)NEW WORLD SUMMIT – KOCHI
–The New World Summit is an artistic and political organization founded by visual artist Jonas Staal in 2012.
Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Kochi, Kerala (IN)Art, Property of Politics IV: Freethinkers’ Space Continued
–A project by PhDArts student Jonas Staal
de Appel arts centre & Frascati, Amsterdam (NL)Part Two of the 3rd FORMER WEST Research Congress
PhDArts doctoral student Jonas Staal gives a lecture during the FORMER WEST Research Congress
Utrecht (NL)How much fascism?
–Group exhibition with a.o. Jonas Staal
BAK, Utrecht (NL)Art, Property of Politics IV: Freethinkers' Space Continued
A project by Jonas Staal
Eindhoven (NL)New World Summit
–A project by Jonas Staal
Berlin (DE)
