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Over the past decade, an explosion of research, art, and activism has focused on waste and the forces that render certain objects, practices, and populations disposable. This work comes together in the interdisciplinary field of Discard Studies, which is driven by the questions of how, why, and to whom do waste, discards, and disposal matter? The Discard Studies Conference will bring together new and established scholars in the humanities and social sciences working on discards and related themes to evaluate the state of this emergent field and identify new directions for future research. Organized by professors Rosalind Fredericks, Mohammed Rafi Arefin, and Robin Nagle of the Discard Studies Collaborative and hosted by NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the conference will include five panels showcasing fresh interdisciplinary research, an opening keynote and art exhibition in the Gallatin Galleries by artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles, and three additional keynote lectures by Max Liboiron, Brenda Chalfin, and Samantha MacBride. Co-sponsors for the event include the NYU Office of Sustainability, NYU Center for Humanities, Global Design NYU, The Urban Democracy Lab, and the departments of Liberal Studies and Environmental Studies.
Please view the conference webpage for additional information.
The conference is free and features both an in-person and virtual attendance option. All in person attendees must RSVP by Friday, September 9th. All in person attendees must be cleared by the NYU VEOCI team which requires uploading your vaccination and booster informatiion.
Thursday, September 15
5:00 – 6:00 pm Reception for the Mierle Laderman Ukeles Exhibition
6:00 – 7: 30 pm Keynote Lecture by artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Artist- in-Residence, New York City Department of Sanitation
Discussant: Eugenia Kisin (NYU)
Friday, September 16
9:00 – 9:15 am Welcome to the Discard Studies Conference
Conference Organizers: Rosalind Fredericks, Mohammed Rafi Arefin, Robin Nagle
9:15 – 11:00 am Keynote Lecture by Max Liboiron
Associate Professor of Geography, Memorial University
Discussants: Josh Lepawsky (Memorial University and Alex Zahara (Memorial University)
11:15 – 12:45 pm Panel 1: Bodies: Labor, Abjection, and Intimacy
Moderator: Karen Holmberg (NYU)
Discussant: Catherine Fennell (Columbia University)
Panelists:
1:45 – 3:15 pm Panel 2: Infrastructures: Materiality, Value, and Circulation
Moderator: Louise Harpman (NYU)
Discussant: Antina von Schnitzler (New School)
Panelists:
3:30 – 5:00 pm Panel 3: The Urban Landscape: Demolition, Abandonment, and Belonging
Moderator: Gianpaolo Baiocchi (Gallatin, NYU)
Discussant: Vyjayanthi Rao (Terreform)
Panelists:
5:30 – 7:00 pm Keynote Lecture by Brenda Chalfin
Professor of Anthropology; Director of the Center for African Studies, University of Florida
Introduction: Rosalind Fredericks (NYU)
Discussant: Robyn d’Avignon (NYU)
Saturday, September 17
8:30 – 10:00 am Panel 4: Management: Unruly Objects, Shifting States
Moderator: Jacob Remes (NYU)
Discussant: Andrea Marston (Rutgers University)
Panelists:
10:15 – 11:45 am Panel 5: Capital: Waste-Value Dialectics
Moderator: TBA
Discussant: Asher Ghertner (Rutgers University)
Panelists:
12:00-1:30 pm Keynote Lecture by Samantha MacBride (Baruch College, CUNY)
Introduction: Mohammed Rafi Arefin (NYU)
Discussant: Robin Nagle (NYU)
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New York University and Gallatin provide accommodations to people living with disabilities who wish to attend events at the School, whether in person or virtually. To request accommodations or should you have questions regarding accessibility for an event, please contact Gallatin’s Office of Special Events by emailing gallatinevents@nyu.edu.