Discussion
Punk Art & Politics: Conflict into Power

With Dance of Days author Mark Andersen and special guests

Wed, 10/11/2017
6:30 PM Goethe-Institut Washington

From an outsider’s perspective, Washington, D.C. might not be the first place that pops into mind when thinking about the annals of America’s punk/hardcore culture. But in fact, the US capital offers one of punk and hardcore’s most colorful and influential histories that - at least in North America - is second to none. Not only did the much-discussed “Straight Edge” and “Riot Grrrl” movements originate here, but D.C. is also home to the renowned independent label Dischord Records, which has made (and continues to make) a huge mark on both the D.C. and international underground scene.

Mark Andersen, co-founder of the punk activist organization Positive Force D.C. and co-author of the book Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation’s Capital, moved to Washington in 1984 and has been an active member of the punk subculture ever since. For Dance of Days, he explored D.C.’s influential punk underground and attempted to explain the message behind the creative, politically insurgent movement. Often in tension, art and politics are two powerful forces within punk that combine to fuel the energy for this relentless scene, which finds its expression in music, art, design, activism and fashion.

Join Mark Andersen and special guests for an in-depth discussion of the tensions between the implicit politics of DIY scenes and explicit stances such as anarchist “black bloc” or “antifa” factions or more mainstream campaigns like “Punk Voter” or “Rock Against Racism”; how an artistic approach can create vibrancy, community and power; and how the D.C. scene differed from other subculture capitals, such as Berlin.

In cooperation with the DC Punk Archive