Feel Tank Chicago
Encyclopedia
Feel Tank Chicago is a Chicago
-based group composed of activists, artists, and academics that engages both in critical research and political activism. It originally began as a cell in larger project called Feminism Unfinished: the cell was called Public Feelings, and has grown in other locales as well, notably Austin, Texas
and New York City. The group refers to itself as a feel tank rather than a think tank, only partly as a joke. The feel tank is organized around the thought that public sphere
s are affect
worlds at least as much as they are effects of rationality, rationalization, and institutions.
The project studies theoretical, historical, and aesthetic materials engaged with political affects and emotions. They have focused on collecting the negative political emotions, arguing that many U.S. citizens and occupants have been left without optimism for the kind of transformative agency that might/ought to have been a provided by participation in the political public sphere. Among the emotions they're interested in are detachment, discontent, coolness, hopelessness, and ambivalence.
Their goal is to view these emotions not as a disconnection from politics, but as a particular critical perspective, and as a form of attachment, rather than detachment. They try to think about this perspective as an aesthetic
perspective, without implying uplift, progress, or errancy. They describe themselves as "restless, angry, mournful, and strangely optimistic activists of the U.S. political sphere."
Its founders are Lauren Berlant
, an English professor at the University of Chicago
who focuses on publics and affects; Vanalyne Green, a professor in Fine Art at the University of Leeds; Debbie Gould, a sociologist of political feelings at the University of California, Santa Cruz; Mary Patten, a writer and video artist at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Rebecca Zorach, an art historian at the University of Chicago. Berlant narrates the origins and practices of Feel Tank Chicago briefly in her statement for the 2003 Critical Inquiry
symposium, titled "Critical Inquiry, Affirmative Culture," which was then included in the Winter 2004 issue of Critical Inquiry.
Feel Tank Chicago has organized three Annual International Parades of the Politically Depressed in Chicago (on May 1, 2003; May 1, 2004; and July 4, 2007). This event, which they describe as a "depress-in" (in the tradition of a sit-in
), consists primarily of a demonstration. Those attending the demonstration were instructed to show up in their bathrobe and slippers, bring their meds, and also bring any legal form of self-medication
they have. Their slogan for the event was "Depressed? It Might Be Political," which also adorns their t-shirts. They organized the "Depression: What is it Good For?" conference at the University of Chicago and the exhibition and event series Pathogeographies, Or, Other People's Baggage. They've also been involved in projects at the Version Festival, Pilot TV, and the 2007 conference Anxiety, Urgency, Outrage, Hope . . . A Conference on Political Feeling, among other conferences and events.
As part of Pathogeographies, Feel Tank Chicago is produced a political feelings Keywords project. The Feel Kit is a toolkit to help others start their own feeltanks, and to brainstorm about the feelings of politics/the politics of feelings.
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based group composed of activists, artists, and academics that engages both in critical research and political activism. It originally began as a cell in larger project called Feminism Unfinished: the cell was called Public Feelings, and has grown in other locales as well, notably Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and New York City. The group refers to itself as a feel tank rather than a think tank, only partly as a joke. The feel tank is organized around the thought that public sphere
Public sphere
The public sphere is an area in social life where individuals can come together to freely discuss and identify societal problems, and through that discussion influence political action...
s are affect
Affect theory
In psychology, affect is an emotion or subjectively experienced feeling. Affect theory is a branch of psychoanalysis that attempts to organize affects into discrete categories and connect each one with its typical response. So, for example, the affect of joy is observed through the reaction of...
worlds at least as much as they are effects of rationality, rationalization, and institutions.
The project studies theoretical, historical, and aesthetic materials engaged with political affects and emotions. They have focused on collecting the negative political emotions, arguing that many U.S. citizens and occupants have been left without optimism for the kind of transformative agency that might/ought to have been a provided by participation in the political public sphere. Among the emotions they're interested in are detachment, discontent, coolness, hopelessness, and ambivalence.
Their goal is to view these emotions not as a disconnection from politics, but as a particular critical perspective, and as a form of attachment, rather than detachment. They try to think about this perspective as an aesthetic
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
perspective, without implying uplift, progress, or errancy. They describe themselves as "restless, angry, mournful, and strangely optimistic activists of the U.S. political sphere."
Its founders are Lauren Berlant
Lauren Berlant
Lauren Berlant is the George M. Pullman Professor of English at the University of Chicago, where she has been teaching since 1984. Berlant received her Ph.D. from Cornell University...
, an English professor at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
who focuses on publics and affects; Vanalyne Green, a professor in Fine Art at the University of Leeds; Debbie Gould, a sociologist of political feelings at the University of California, Santa Cruz; Mary Patten, a writer and video artist at the Art Institute of Chicago, and Rebecca Zorach, an art historian at the University of Chicago. Berlant narrates the origins and practices of Feel Tank Chicago briefly in her statement for the 2003 Critical Inquiry
Critical Inquiry
Critical Inquiry is a peer-reviewed academic journal in the humanities published by the University of Chicago Press. It is considered a leading journal within literary studies, and particularly in the field of critical theory....
symposium, titled "Critical Inquiry, Affirmative Culture," which was then included in the Winter 2004 issue of Critical Inquiry.
Feel Tank Chicago has organized three Annual International Parades of the Politically Depressed in Chicago (on May 1, 2003; May 1, 2004; and July 4, 2007). This event, which they describe as a "depress-in" (in the tradition of a sit-in
Sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of protest that involves occupying seats or sitting down on the floor of an establishment.-Process:In a sit-in, protesters remain until they are evicted, usually by force, or arrested, or until their requests have been met...
), consists primarily of a demonstration. Those attending the demonstration were instructed to show up in their bathrobe and slippers, bring their meds, and also bring any legal form of self-medication
Self-medication
Self-medication is a term used to describe the use of drugs or other self-soothing forms of behavior to treat untreated and often undiagnosed mental distress, stress and anxiety, including mental illnesses and/or psychological trauma...
they have. Their slogan for the event was "Depressed? It Might Be Political," which also adorns their t-shirts. They organized the "Depression: What is it Good For?" conference at the University of Chicago and the exhibition and event series Pathogeographies, Or, Other People's Baggage. They've also been involved in projects at the Version Festival, Pilot TV, and the 2007 conference Anxiety, Urgency, Outrage, Hope . . . A Conference on Political Feeling, among other conferences and events.
As part of Pathogeographies, Feel Tank Chicago is produced a political feelings Keywords project. The Feel Kit is a toolkit to help others start their own feeltanks, and to brainstorm about the feelings of politics/the politics of feelings.