Join cultural theorist Sylvère Lotringer in celebrating the release of his new book, Mad Like Artaud by Univocal Publishing. A series of essays and interviews examining “the Artaud affair,” the book centers on an interview Lotringer conducted in the 1980’s with Antonin Artaud’s psychiatrist at the Rodez asylum, Dr. Jacques Latrémolière. This revealing and often funny document, entitled I Talked With God About Antonin Artaud, will be performed live by Ariana Reines, Tony Torn, and Brad Burgess.

Q & A with Sylvère Lotringer moderated by Bosko Blagojevic will follow, as well as a performance of Artaud’s Jet of Blood, directed by Etienne Pierre Duguay.

Organized by Joanna Spinks and Samadhi Arts.

Sylvère Lotringer, a literary critic and cultural theorist, is professor emeritus of French literature and philosophy at Columbia University and Jean Baudrillard Chair at the European Graduate School. As the founder of the independent press Semiotext(e), he was instrumental in introducing French theory to the United States. Lotringer’s contributions range from philosophy, literature, and art to architecture, anthropology, and avant-garde movements. His publications include Antonin Artaud, Nancy Spero; French Theory in America, The Miserables, and Mad Like Artaud, among many others. He has made three films: How to Shoot a Crime (with Chris Kraus), Violent Femmes, and The Man Who Disappeared.

Univocal Publishing is an independent publishing house specializing in artisanal editions of texts ranging from philosophy, art, technology, poetry and more. Inspired by the philosopher Gilles Deleuze’s deployment of the concept of univocity, Univocal strives to publish thinkers and writers whose voices are as singular as they are diverse and which resonate with a multiplicity of encounters. Each book is bound, cut and printed at Univocal’s atelier. Combining the earliest of printmaking techniques with the creative evolutions of the digital age, Univocal creates books meant to house the creative rigor and diversity of the writers and thinkers it publishes. Univocal’s books are archival and boast letterpress covers.

Joanna Spinks is a translator and director of contemporary French theater. She holds a Master of Arts in French from CUNY, and is the creator of Tropismes, a series of staged readings of avant-garde plays. Most recently she presented selected readings of Antonin Artaud at the Emily Harvey Foundation gallery in SoHo. She has also worked with the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) and the Martin E. Segal Theatre at the CUNY Graduate Center.

Etienne Pierre Duguay is a director, producer and musician based in New York City. He founded several independent arts venues in Brooklyn, including the Fitness Center for Arts and Tactics and the Body Actualized Center. He is currently Curator-at-Large for Samadhi Arts.

Eli Epstein-Deutsch is a writer, curator, and editor based in New York. Formerly a reviewer for The Village Voice, he studied Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism at the Yale School of Drama, and is currently the Producing Director of Samadhi Arts.

Samadhi Arts is a multidisciplinary platform dedicated to connecting visionary artists and ancient lineages. Its mission is to advance ritual forms through immersive events and encourage critical inquiry into the role of esoteric practice in society. It seeks to restore the notion of art as a vehicle for inner and outer transformation, while promoting innovative directions for contemporary culture.

Bosko Blagojevic writes regularly about contemporary art. His work appears on artforum.com and in magazines like Flash Art, Art in America, and Bijutsu Techo, as well as various exhibition catalogs. He is co-founder of Platform for Pedagogy, the popular New York event listing for serious cultural programming. In 2014, he co-founded Svetlana, New York.

Brad Burgess is the Artistic Director of the Living Theatre, after having worked with friend and mentor Judith Malina for ten years until her passing in April 2015. He is also an OBIE award-winning member of The Living Theatre ensemble.

Ariana Reines is an American poet, playwright, performance artist, and translator. Her books of poetry include The Cow (2006), which won the Alberta Prize from Fence Books, Coeur de Lion, Mercury, and Thursday. She has taught at UC Berkeley, Columbia University, The New School, and Tufts University.

Tony Torn has worked in many different kinds of theater, film, and performance: Broadway, Downtown experimental theater, performance art, Hollywood remakes, underground cinema, classic authors such as Shakespeare and Ionesco, and contemporary playwrights such as Richard Foreman. He manages Torn Page, the home of Apt 929, a classroom, screening room, and venue for poetry and performance in NYC celebrating the legacy of his parents, Rip Torn and Geraldine Page.