Language Against Intelligence with David Levine, Alix Rule & Dawn Chan

This event is part of the , presented in partnership with Critical Minded.

In 2012, Triple Canopy published Alix Rule and David Levine’s “International Art English,” which named an opaque, theory-laden idiom that had emerged with digital press releases and been adopted (if also decried) by curators, critics, dealers, and artists. The essay prompted years of debate, with Guardian columnists crusading against pretentiousness, post-internet artists praising linguistic deviance, and scholars assigning “profundity ratings” to e-flux announcements. Now, though, IAE seems to be dead: The shift to image-based social media and fragmentation of the art world have sapped the power of press releases to grant legitimacy to art (and to art workers).

For Language Against Intelligence, Rule and Levine will speak with the critic Dawn Chan about IAE in the age of ChatGPT and text-based slop. What use is language in legitimizing art when the right prompt yields a perfectly authoritative hodgepodge of posthumanist philosophy? How might we see the inefficient vernacular of the art world in relation to AI tools that recycle expressions and patterns in order to produce language that simulates intelligence by sounding right? How do these linguistic mechanisms homogenize communication (and thought), while also giving us mystifying gems that seem to thwart comprehension and “calculability”? The conversation will be moderated by Alexander Provan, Triple Canopy’s editor.

Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee entry if the event reaches capacity before you arrive. Roulette is wheelchair-accessible. Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis. An RSVP does not guarantee entry if the event reaches capacity before you arrive. Roulette is wheelchair-accessible. Email Zack Wilks, Deputy Director, for more information: [email protected].

Worker Coffee will be on site selling coffee and tea. Tapes, publications, and wares will be available from PTP.

Beverages have been graciously provided by Grimm Artisanal Ales, Narragansett Brewing Company, and Zev Rovine Selections.

About the Symposium
Triple Canopy’s annual symposium is a manifestation of the magazine’s concerns and collaborations, in person and in real time. The two-day gathering brings together artists, writers, performers, and researchers to address the role of culture in responding (or contributing) to a range of critical issues.

The 2025 Triple Canopy Symposium is presented in partnership with Critical Minded and hosted by Roulette. All Symposium programming will be livestreamed by Roulette.

Host or Publisher Triple Canopy