Cognitive Dissidents - Reasons to be Cheerful

Comprising over 20 works that cover both activist documentary and synthetic forms, ‘Cognitive Dissidents: Reasons to be Cheerful’ explores the development of Australian video art from the 1970s to the 2000s.

‘Cognitive Dissidents’ inquires into the meaning and politics of dissidence through its exploration of the value of the experiment, and the possibilities of aesthetic and social politics. The title of the show is a playful take on the 19 79 song and single "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, which simply lists a number of reasons to be cheerful, reflecting the energy and optimism for change embodied by this selection of works. This publication features a short biography of each of the artists, still images from works in the exhibition and a new essay by curator Stephen Jones.

240mm(H) x 170mm(W)
32pp; paperback; saddle-stitched

Price: $11
Postage: $4.50 (if applicable)