Overview

The Art & Law Program is a seminar-colloquium focusing on the study of visual culture and law, with a particular emphasis on how the discourses and practices of law and visual culture impact each other, self-governance, history, and culture. At its core, the Program focuses on providing fellows with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while encouraging the fellows to go on to teach their understanding of art and the law.

The Program consists of a nonpartisan community that aims to attract individuals in the creative areas of visual art, architecture, criticism, music, art history, writing, curating, and film. This list is non-exclusive. Artists with non-traditional cultural practices are especially encouraged to apply, as are cultural producers interested in the cultural effects of law.

Pedagogical Philosophy

The Art & Law Program places a particular emphasis on the understanding of legal cases, texts and materials through a Socratic method of interpretation. Through a close analysis of legal texts, legal structures, and legal modes of thought, the Program aims to analyze current artistic, curatorial, theoretical and art historical practices and discourses. Conversely, the use of law and jurisprudence as theory, practice and medium is explored.

The study of art and law includes territoriality and space, legal structures and systems, law as medium, crime, outlaw structures, culture and justice, freedom of expression, tangible and intangible property, language and contracts, authority and authorship, markets and transactions, systems of value, morality and law, corporate entities, sovereignty, and international law.

For the Fall 2025 Three-Day Intensive, the Program will address, directly and indirectly, the concept of Artists’ Legacies.

The Program is influenced by five main discourses and practices: visual art, law, philosophy, the martial arts, and percussion. With this in mind, please note that the Program does not focus on traditional and conventional theories and ideologies (e.g., Marxism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, psychoanalysis, identity politics, etc.), but rather investigates how the philosophies and practices of the five main discourses above disturb the “critical theory” establishment and create new spaces and discourses for aesthetic, cultural and intellectual practices.

Applicants and admitted fellows shall take note that the Program is fully committed to freedom of expression.

Origins

The Art & Law Program, the first of its kind, was founded in 2010 by Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento.

Funding

The Art & Law Program is privately owned and funded by Sergio Muñoz Sarmiento, and is also funded through the aid of private donations and participation fees. The Program is not a foundation, is not registered as a 501(c)(3) under the US Internal Revenue Code and does not receive governmental assistance.