In this talk Jack Halberstam will offer a compact history of mid twentieth century art by turning to a standoff between a straight man, Gordon Marta-Clark, who introduced ideas of unbuilding into the crowded city scape, and a gay man, Philip Johnson, responsible for some of its most grand skyscrapers. 

As Matta-Clark studied buildings to learn how to engineer their collapse Johnson advocated for the removal of poor communities and made architecture and real estate synonymous. What can be learned from studying sex, art and what Marta-Clark termed anarchitecture? What does demolition make possible that development denies? How should we think about Philip Johnson’s gayness in relation to his fascist commitments?

The talk is the opening keynote for the workshop “SEX EDUCATION: Subjectivities, Materialities, Differences” organized by Tobias Boll, Miriam Brunnengräber, and Maik Wiesen.

Jack Halberstam is a renowned scholar, author, and cultural critic, celebrated for his contributions to gender studies, queer theory, and popular culture. He is a Professor of English and Gender Studies at Columbia University, where his work spans diverse fields including literature, film, and visual culture.