Reading-group: Georges Bataille’s ‘The Inner Experience’
In his main work ‘The Inner Experience’ Georges Bataille reports
on his search for, and describes his methods for achieving, the ‘inner
experience’. What the ‘inner experience’ is, is hard to describe.
One could say that it is ‘the experience of experiencing’ (without
experiencing something specific), or one could say that it is ‘simply’
‘to be’. For sure is that the ‘inner experience’ cannot
be put in words (otherwise it would be the experience of something).
The situation that Bataille wants to describe something that cannot be put in
words, brings him in an interesting conflict as a writer. In his book he works
with fragmenting different genres of writing. His writing is a series of strategies
against language, to bring (I would say) the reader in a physical position facing
the ‘inner experience’.
For artists, I believe, ‘The Inner Experience’ is relevant because it raises questions on ‘being itself’, and the proces of experiencing (which also could be the experience of a work of art). Further I think it is interesting that to bring the reader in a position facing ‘the inner experience’, Bataille develops a language against language. This raises question on how to do something similar in different art-froms. How to develop a dance against dance, images against images or music against music?
Topics we will discus are; the structure of Bataille’s writing, his
definitions of the ‘inner experience’, his ideas on sacrifice and
community, his hatred against eastern traditions (meditation), and the possibility
of ‘translating’ his strategies against language to other media.
Apart from ‘The Inner Experience’ we will read some short additional
texts of Georges Bataille, Maurice Blanchot, and probably Jacques Lacan.
It could be interesting to follow this reading group together with the group of Arthur d’Ansembourg on Lyotard.
We will read and discuss in english unless there are no none-dutch speaking
participants.
Place: W139, Warmoestraat 139, Amsterdam
Time: monday evenings, 6 times, every 2 weeks, starting 26
october 2009
Costs: €50,-
If you are interested send an e-mail to:
reading@w139.nl (in the subject line “Aanmelding voor leesgroep”)
and
bramvre@gmail.com
Let us know a bit about your background (discipline), your interest in Bataille
and if you speak/read dutch or not. (I will do the group in english unless there
are only dutch people)
For questions you can e-mail the second e-mail adress.
The first one who applies will be the first one to get a place in the group!
links to Bataille on my website: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4