While active participation in organized religions is steadily dwindling, observers of the Global North can easily notice an increased interest and partaking in occult practices. And while the engagement with esotericism or alternative mysticisms manifests throughout the political spectrum, many in the queer community seem especially inclined to (at least superficially) engage with the occult: From astrology and tarot card readings over the ritual hexing of right-wing politicians to a renewed interest in herbalism and atavistic forms of (self-)care, it appears to engender alternative approaches to knowledge (production), alternative conceptions of the body, and political agency. In his recent book Tendings: Feminist Esoterisms and the Abolition of Man, Nathan Snaza even suggests that in contrast to the universalizing presuppositions of the enlightenment, certain feminist occult and esoteric practices embrace decolonial spiritual knowledge and reject the racializing and colonialist stance of modernity in favor of a pluriversal worldview.

This general interest in the occult is also paralleled in the art world, as seen, for example, in the 59th Venice Biennial, or exhibitions like “Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art” (Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2022), “Witch Hunt” (Hammer Museum, L.A.), or “Sci-fi, Magick, Queer L.A. | Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation” (USC Fisher Museum of Art, 2024). So far, it may seem obvious that art is a predestined field for the negotiation of occult themes (or itself a means of occult practices). On the one hand, art traditionally has an intrinsic connection to the occult – think of ancient votive offerings or Christian altarpieces – and, on the other hand, ritual ceremonies can also be attributed an inherently theatrical, artistic quality (not to mention the often fabulous costumes). But what draws so many contemporary, self-identified queers to the occult? How can their artistic practices, informed by some form of occult engagement, inform our understanding of queerness?

To approach these questions, this seminar will begin with a (art-)historical contextualization of the witch – especially in connection to colonization, capitalism, and misogyny ­– and a critical examination of the witch’s reclamation within the Gay Liberation and Women’s Movement of the 1970s before discussing occult epistemologies in connection to contemporary scholarship, especially in Queer Theory, New Materialism, and Affect Theory. The second part of this seminar will focus specifically on the art of contemporary queer artists, particularly such works that approach alternative knowledge production through practices of expanding one’s senses (be it through pharmacopornographical experiments a la Paul B. Preciado or recreational drugs), of emphasizing more-than-human situatedness (for example in the work of Jenna Sutela), or ritualistic ecstasies (for instance through BDSM practices), while also problematizing the possible entanglement of esotericism in colonization and cultural appropriation.

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Please note: Although this seminar focuses on particular artists and art works, the reading of some key texts is mandatory in preparation for each session. A complete list will will distribtued ahead of the introductory session. I am committed to ensuring that all the literature listed here is accessible to all students. Therefore, I provide all essential readings online as PDF. Further research is encouraged using the resources available.

The seminar can be in English or German, we will decide on the language situation during our initial session.

Attendence of the first session on March 13 is obligatory since presentations will be assigned on that day. if you wish to attend the seminar but cannot join us that date please contact me directly.

1.  Oral presentation, either on an artist or on one of the texts discussed in the seminar. Co-presentations are also possible. Assignment and assistance during the introductory session
2. Written version of the oral presentation as a seminar paper according to academic standards.
3. Active participation: Each session we will discuss both the presented artworks and the respective literature. It is important to come prepared, i.e. to read the literature carefully, take notes and prepare at least one critical question for each text.