CALL FOR GUEST EDITORS/CURATORS
The ICI Press is seeking guest editors and/or curators for two upcoming books in its long-standing ‘eye’ series. These compilations will join Bataille’s Eye (1997) and Benjamin’s Blind Spot (2001) as projects that examine theoretical texts that have remained on university syllabi in a variety of vision-based disciplines even though they are often characterized as problematic and outdated. Why do these works continue to occupy privileged positions? Does our allegiance to their teachings create blind spots in our thinking or do they exist outside of time or pop agendas as unique catalysts to ever-evolving thought ?
ROLAND BARTHES’ CAMERA LUCIDA
With a mix of scholarly texts and artist projects, the first publication will examine Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes’ book on photography. Our goal is to consider the content of Barthes’ book, characterized as ‘flawed, impossible, infuriating, and moving’ even in its day but also its symmetrical and ‘photographic’ (postive/negative) book design that has been subject to as many ‘translations’ as the text. We imagine some proposals where Barthes is omnipresent while in others he might be nothing but a ghostly presence. Camera Lucida evokes strong emotions in its readers; we hope to create a book of equal passion. We are seeking a guest editor and a guest curator for this project but will also consider candidates that feel they are qualified and able to commit to both positions.
ROGER CAILLOIS’ “MIMICRY AND LEGENDARY PSYCHASTHENIA”
The second book project will unpack Roger Caillois’ seminal essay “Mimicry and Legendary Psychasthenia.” Caillois has cycled in and out of contemporary thinking with cultural escorts that were unimaginable when the essay was first published. Written in the height of surrealism, Caillois could not imagine the degree to which his ideas would be tested with the ‘Ghost Army’ of WW II. And recently, Caillois’ theories have come back into play as theorists and practitioners explore challenges to vision brought on by the Internet. Given Caillois’ multi-disciplinary interests, we imagine a project that reaches across disciplines not only in the range of its scholarly texts but also in its visual contributions and in the design of the final book form. We are seeking a guest editor/curator with an adventurous spirit although we will not rule out editor/curator teams or collaborative groups.
A $1000 honorarium is available for each publication (to be split, if there are separate editors/curators) along with multiple copies of the finished book and/or deluxe artist edition planned for each publication. Guest Editor duties are outlined here.
Please send a letter outlining your interest in either project along with a current cv, a writing sample, and examples of, or links to, relevant past work to info@culturalinquiry.org. We will begin the interview process on March 1, 2014 and will continue until we find the right candidate.
From time to time, the ICI works with guest curators/editors to create ‘compilations’ that address issues or concerns of interest to the Institute. These compilations can take many forms: a display, an event, or a printed publication, to name just a few possibilities. Listed here are the duties of curator/editors for printed compilations:
