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Marxism in Culture

The Marxism in Culture seminar series was conceived in 2002 to provide a forum for those committed to the continuing relevance of Marxism for cultural analysis

Both "Marxism" and "culture" are conceived here in a broad sense.  We understand Marxism as an ongoing self-critical tradition, and correspondingly the critique of Marxism's own history and premises is part of the agenda. "Culture" is intended to comprehend not only the traditional fine arts, but also aspects of popular culture such as film, popular music, and fashion.  From this perspective, conventional distinctions between the avant-garde and the popular, the elite and the mass, the critical and the commercial are very much open for scrutiny.  All historical inquiry is theoretically grounded, self-consciously or not, and theoretical work in the Marxist tradition demands empirical verification. 

Marxism in Culture welcomes contributions that are concerned primarily with principles and methods as well as those that focus on the interpretation of particular cultural practices, historical or contemporary.

Upcoming seminars

Cover of the book Shaping Revolutionary Memory: The Production of Monuments in Socialist Yugoslavia, featuring Luiza Margan's work Eye to Eye with Freedom, 2014, Rijeka (Courtesy: Bildrecht, Vienna, 2023)
Rethinking Revolutionary Memory: The Production and Afterlives of Yugoslav Socialist Monuments

Join this 'Marxism in Culture' seminar with Sanja Horvatinčić and Beti Žerovc.
31 October 2025, 5:30 pm–7:30 pm

Susanne Kriemann's 'Library for Radioactive Afterlife' (artist's book project), 2020.
Radioactive Marxisms & Atomic Fairytales from the former East Germany

An Ultra-Violet Art History of Afterlives. Join this 'Marxism in Culture' seminar with Sara James (Manchester School of Art, MMU)
28 November 2025, 5:30 pm–7:30 pm

Mutter Giehse theatre production, Marxism in Culture
Theatre and Marxism(s)

This talk tells the history of Marxism through an unusual lens: the theatre. Join this 'Marxism in Culture' seminar with Shane Boyle (Queen Mary University of London)
5 December 2025, 5:30 pm–7:30 pm 

Hélio Oiticica, B17 Glass Bólide 05 “Homage to Mondrian” (1965) [© Projeto Hélio Oiticica]
Mondrian’s Firebomb: Avant-Garde and Underdevelopment in Brazil

This seminar reinterprets the trajectory of the short-lived Brazilian art movement known as “Neo-Concretism” Join this 'Marxism in Culture' seminar with Thomas Waller.
12 December 2025, 5:30 pm–7:30 pm

The Marxism in Culture seminar was set up in 2002 in the aftermath of the large international conference on Marxism and the Visual Arts Now held at UCL in April of that year.  Speakers have included: Caroline Arscott, David Cunningham, Angela Dimitrakaki, Carol Duncan, Suman Gupta, Stathis Kouvelakis, David Margolies, Stewart Martin, Fred Orton, Alex Potts, Marcus Rediker, Adrian Rifkin, Fred Schwartz, Greg Sholette, Blake Stimson, James Van Dyke, Marina Vishmidt, Ben Watson, O.K. Werckmeister, the Warwick Research Collective (WREC) and many more. Marxism in Culture actively supports the research of postgraduate students and early career researchers.

Past seminars

Seminar convenors

  • Dr Larne Abse Gogarty, UCL Slade School of Fine Art
  • Dave Beech Chelsea College of Art, UAL
  • Warren Carter, Open University
  • Luisa Corna, UWE Bristol 
  • Gail Day, Leeds University
  • Steve Edwards Birkbeck University
  • Alex Fletcher Central St Martins, UAL
  • Antigoni Memou, University of East London
  • Andrew.Murray, Open University
  • Dr Jenny Nachtigall, UCL History of Art
  • Paul Rekret, University of Westminster
  • Dr Ben Wiedel-Kaufmann, Art History, Open University