Master Class STAGING EVIL: Folk Devils, Social Dramaturgy, Performance and Object Making by Steven Warwick

Description

“What is evil? Have you ever wondered why you/ we use the term? Evil is something unimaginable, how would you represent it? Have you ever wanted to stage it? This course is a five day intensive course which will be held at Berlin Art Institute from February 16 to 20, 2026. A class like this seldom occurs, and is for the curious. Warwick’s own practice is wildly diverse and crosses many accepted boundaries and preexisting notions of what it is to make art. Using his book length essay Notes of Evil (Floating Opera Press, 2022) in which he argues that ‘evil’ doesn’t even exist, or at least in the way we currently frame it. It serves as a point of departure to provide a cutting edge discursive framework, you will learn both how to make work and also how to be able to theorise and articulate your unique perspective in this world.

The Staging Evil masterclass focuses on connecting disparate strands of queer, cinematic and critical contemporary theory alongside praxes such as experimental electronic music, theatrical performance, creative writing, video, sculpture and installation art to take you on a journey which will help you question your own preconceptions and enrich and expand your ongoing artistic vocabulary. There is a focus in this class of being present in a space, together, learning something in real time, and allowing yourself and the class to unfold in the present moment. By coming to the BAI classroom context, Warwick will present something not available online and so esoteric, a singular thinker who seamlessly bridges artmaking, theatrical, musical and writing fields, you will be uniquely enriched by this experiential and experimental learning programme.

In Warwick’s own practice, he stages a performative situation, using writing as the point of departure and works across various media, including video, sound, performance, sculpture and installation in various formats of exhibition making, theatre, performance, concerts, book length essays, criticism and cinema. He has released albums on the PAN label, lectured at Cal Arts, CSM London Vienna Art Academy, and exhibited at the ICA London, Quai Branly Museum Paris, SMK Denmark, Issue Project Room NYC ,KW Institute for Art Berlin. He has also co-authored Fear Indexing The X Files w Nora Khan ( Primary Information, 2017) and the experimental writing performance duo Elevator to Mezzanine with DeForrest Brown Jr. He is also a regular guest and contributor to the New Models podcast.” (Text by courtesy of Steven Warwick)