Week 3: Who can afford to (not) be critical?

Assignment

Finish filling out the form by Friday 2/13, 2026 11:59pm. Fail to finish it before, you will be randomly assigned a groupmate.

Group Matching Interest Form

1. Watch Urgent Publishing After the Artist’s Book between 3:12:40 and 3:58:38. You can also read the article here or the original slides.
2. Write at least a one-page reflection after watching the video. Consider the following prompts to guide your reflection:
   1. When the author says “publishing has always been political,” what does that mean?
   2. What makes publishing “urgent”?
   3. The author argues we should look “after the artist’s book” and focus on platforms and acts (spreadsheets, toolkits, memes, protest signs, livestreams). What do you think what else besides traditional books should “count” as publishing in 2026 and what shouldn’t? Why?

In-Class Activity

• Slides! (pw:coop)

Other Resources

• The Young Designer’s Guide to Speculative and Critical Design
• Who Can Afford to Be Critical? - Alfanso Matos
• Homegrown: Engaged Cultural Criticism - Bell Hooks
• Stonewall Riots
• Capital Crawl - PBS
• Guerilla Girls’ Projects
• Taking it to the Street: the Guerrilla Girls’ Struggle for Diversity