Artists as organisers: Cultural commoning and hegemony in Thailand

This chapter reflects on the increased importance of the cultural domain for politics and commerce. It builds on the realisation that culture has become a crucial tool for states and corporations alike to maintain and expand their influence, by ‘selling’ images of society that align with state interests, or consumption practices befitting the aims of corporations. In response, a growing literature—to which this book contributes—highlights cultural commoning as a form of bottom-up cultural organising that is separate from states and corporations and supports counter-hegemonic action. Reflecting on this literature, we make three observations. First, following Chantal Mouffe and others, we argue for an agonistic view that sees cultural commoning as a political sphere without final reconciliation, thus questioning the equation of the common with consensus. Second, and by extension, while based on collective exchange, common art practices are ‘ideologically flexible’ and align with various positions. They help to both reproduce and disarticulate given hegemonies, and support more and less inclusive social practices. And third, while acknowledging the role of affect in bringing publics together, we stress the importance of ‘organising’—especially outside of formal institutions—for the counter-hegemonic potential of art. We trace the consequences of these observations through a discussion of artists as organisers in Thailand.