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Culture and Its Discontents: A Public Conversation

In response to vociferous cultural debates that have engulfed the Guggenheim Museum and other U.S. museums during the past year with in-person and online protests, the Guggenheim presents two days of public programming to examine the causes and effects of this growing phenomenon. “Culture and Its Discontents” brings together prominent scholars and thought leaders to discuss the widening ideological divides in the United States, the impact of the digital sphere on public protest, and the role of museums as open spaces for the exchange of ideas.

Friday, April 6: Keynote Conversation

The program begins on Friday, April 6, with a keynote conversation featuring Sally Kohn, a progressive political commentator and author of the forthcoming book The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity. She will by joined by Alyssa Mastromonaco, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama, New York Times best-selling author of Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?, and contributor to Crooked Media; and Hank Willis Thomas, a conceptual artist living and working in New York City whose work focuses on themes related to perspective identity and commodity, media, and popular culture.

Saturday, April 7: Panel Discussions

“Culture and its Discontents” continues on Saturday, April 7, with two panel discussions moderated by Brian Lehrer, host of WNYC Radio’s daily call-in program The Brian Lehrer Show.

The first panel, “Contemporary Culture Wars,” will explore the political polarization across U.S. cultural institutions, college campuses, and the media. Panelists will discuss how cultural institutions can balance the inherent conflict between free expression and hate speech, creative provocation and moral righteousness. Panelists include Kurt Bardella, columnist for HuffPost, USA Today, and NBC THINK and former spokesperson for Representative Darrel Issa, Senator Olympia Snowe, and Breitbart; Jehmu Greene, television commentator, social justice champion, and Distinguished Fellow at Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership; Angela Nagle, contributing writer for The Baffler and author of Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right; and Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer, PEN America.

The second panel, “Outrage Activism,” will investigate how the digital revolution has changed the nature of popular protest; how online networks mobilize to control debate with tactics such as digital swarming and fake news; and how cultural institutions can reflect upon and mediate those debates. Panelists include Danielle Citron, author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace and Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law; Molly Crockett, Yale University Assistant Professor of Psychology and neuroscientist; and Melissa Ryan, consultant and digital campaigner, currently a visiting fellow at Media Matters for America and editor of Ctrl Alt-Right Delete, a weekly newsletter in partnership with Hope Not Hate.

Additional panelists to be announced.

Tickets to each day of the program must be purchased separately. $25, $20 members, $15 students











When: Sat., Apr. 7, 2018 at 2:30 pm
Where: Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th St.)
212-423-3500
Price: $25 per day
Buy tickets/get more info now
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In response to vociferous cultural debates that have engulfed the Guggenheim Museum and other U.S. museums during the past year with in-person and online protests, the Guggenheim presents two days of public programming to examine the causes and effects of this growing phenomenon. “Culture and Its Discontents” brings together prominent scholars and thought leaders to discuss the widening ideological divides in the United States, the impact of the digital sphere on public protest, and the role of museums as open spaces for the exchange of ideas.

Friday, April 6: Keynote Conversation

The program begins on Friday, April 6, with a keynote conversation featuring Sally Kohn, a progressive political commentator and author of the forthcoming book The Opposite of Hate: A Field Guide to Repairing Our Humanity. She will by joined by Alyssa Mastromonaco, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama, New York Times best-selling author of Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?, and contributor to Crooked Media; and Hank Willis Thomas, a conceptual artist living and working in New York City whose work focuses on themes related to perspective identity and commodity, media, and popular culture.

Saturday, April 7: Panel Discussions

“Culture and its Discontents” continues on Saturday, April 7, with two panel discussions moderated by Brian Lehrer, host of WNYC Radio’s daily call-in program The Brian Lehrer Show.

The first panel, “Contemporary Culture Wars,” will explore the political polarization across U.S. cultural institutions, college campuses, and the media. Panelists will discuss how cultural institutions can balance the inherent conflict between free expression and hate speech, creative provocation and moral righteousness. Panelists include Kurt Bardella, columnist for HuffPost, USA Today, and NBC THINK and former spokesperson for Representative Darrel Issa, Senator Olympia Snowe, and Breitbart; Jehmu Greene, television commentator, social justice champion, and Distinguished Fellow at Barnard College’s Athena Center for Leadership; Angela Nagle, contributing writer for The Baffler and author of Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right; and Suzanne Nossel, Chief Executive Officer, PEN America.

The second panel, “Outrage Activism,” will investigate how the digital revolution has changed the nature of popular protest; how online networks mobilize to control debate with tactics such as digital swarming and fake news; and how cultural institutions can reflect upon and mediate those debates. Panelists include Danielle Citron, author of Hate Crimes in Cyberspace and Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law; Molly Crockett, Yale University Assistant Professor of Psychology and neuroscientist; and Melissa Ryan, consultant and digital campaigner, currently a visiting fellow at Media Matters for America and editor of Ctrl Alt-Right Delete, a weekly newsletter in partnership with Hope Not Hate.

Additional panelists to be announced.

Tickets to each day of the program must be purchased separately. $25, $20 members, $15 students

Buy tickets/get more info now