Paper short abstract:

The concept of "device" is pervasive both in the social science and in contemporary art. In the field of art, the notion of "device" often implies a mechanism of political action. In this paper I will discuss some artistic "devices", how they work, and which notions of politics they articulate.

Paper long abstract:

The concept of "device" is pervasive both in the social sciences, from post-structuralism to actor-network theory, and in contemporary artistic practice.It is so widely used that sometimes it is difficult to understand what in means. In fact, the problem is that many different things/events ( everything?) can be described as a device.But the contention of this paper is that this is not a reason to abandon the concept. The pervasiveness of the device, on the opposite, may be a sign of our times, that we ( anthropologists) have to address ethnographically. In the field of art, the notion of "device" often implies a mechanism that induces to political action. In this paper I will discuss some artistic "devices", how they work, and which notions of politics they articulate.