Art, politics and subjectivity: aesthetic operations of contemporary political contagion

Abstract

This article presents a theoretical essay on the processes of subjectivation operating at the intersections of psychology, politics, art, and struggles against social exclusion in contemporary Brazil. Based on a transcribed speech I delivered at the “IX Encontro do GT Deleuze & Guattari: Arte e Política” event, this study explores the Philosophy of Difference (Deleuze, 2010) to address issues in the aesthetic field as political tools of contagion. The discussion becomes urgent in light of the rise of hate speech during the last government, highlighting the relevance of Deleuze and Guattari's (1996) reflections on macro and micropolitics. Analyses such as these become fundamental in the face of the growth of conservative forces and the production of desires for the annihilation of differences. This essay proposes forms of resistance and existence through a critical and analytical approach, considering the microphysical dynamics of power (Foucault, 2021) and recognizing the affective techniques and technologies operating at molecular levels. Finally, the study points to paths of resistance and liberation through art, literature, and a politics of affects, offering an understanding of the complexities of social and political struggles in Brazil and the realization of other worlds.