A new reading group exploring the concept of "the genius" starting September 2025 Sandberg

A new reading group exploring the concept of "the genius" is starting in September 2025 at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie Library

Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person.” – Immanuel Kant

When Roland Barthes proclaimed the death of the author in 1968 (he did this as an author) the concept of "genius", which stood for the artist's potential to invent out of nothing or out of nature, was also attacked from various sides. In times of Cybernetics, the Anthropocene, and Transhumanism, the question of the author still exists, but has been transformed into a merely functional terminology: for example, in the development of AI. As a specific human capacity, however, "having genius" has disappeared as a serious concept from the discourses in art, culture, and politics. Even the "taboo" that has been placed on the term since the 1960s/70s seems almost forgotten.

Using various texts on the concept of “genius”, the group will discuss the specific historical constellation — between culture, nature and the individual — from which the concept of “genius” has once emerged. The focus will be placed on a special undercurrent within the discourse of genius, namely a feeling of inadequacy as well as desire. This is both in people who considered themselves as missing that specific capacity, as well as in those subjects who recognized themselves as geniuses: but could not grasp how their own achievement could have been possible. Thus, this pivotal unavailability of genius can be reminiscent of the unavailability of the unconscious as a dimension of the artistic concept, which can manifest itself both as intuition and as a negative problem in the artistic work.

We will broaden the question of genius to a more general level, aligning with the book by Cho that we begin with. Other books will be mentioned as we read, and there might be shorter pieces of text interspersed: along with additional literature addressing this or similar topics later on, depending on the progress of the discussion

We will start with the book Genius After Psychoanalysis by K. Daniel Cho. We read out-loud, with commentary and discussion. No prior reading is necessary.

When: First session starts at 17:00 on Monday, 22 September 2025.

From October 27 the sessions will take place every Monday via Zoom.

Where: Online via zoom.

The reading group is organized by Hermann Gabler, and will officially begin on 22 September 2025. It is open to students of all backgrounds.

For any questions, don't hesitate to contact Hermann, at: hermann.gabler@rietveldacademie.nl