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.