States of Divergence

States of Divergence
Sven Lütticken

In States of Divergence, Sven Lütticken invites readers into an exploration of history as accelerating catastrophe – and of alternative, oppositional, divergent practices in life, art and revolutionary thought. Set against the backdrop of global crises, from climate change to pandemics, Lütticken dissects contemporary cultural and political practices that attempt to break free from the disastrous momentum of capitalist modernity. His journey traverses fields including art theory, philosophy, and politics, presenting a nuanced critique of the ways in which deviant temporalities and forms of life confront or adapt to catastrophe.

Through a series of essays, the book tackles issues ranging from survival to prefigurative practice, indigeneity and internationalism, and the dialectics of critique and revolution. Lütticken masterfully blends personal narrative, historical inquiry, and theoretical reflection to question what it means to live – and resist – within the contradictions of our time. States of Divergence is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how art, politics, and life intersect in an era defined by ever-deepening contradictions and conflicts.

Bio: Sven Lütticken is an art historian. He teaches at Leiden University’s Academy of Creative and Performing Arts and at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. He is the author of History in Motion: Time in the Age of the Moving Image (2013), Cultural Revolution: Aesthetic Practice after Autonomy (2017), and Objections: Forms of Abstraction, Vol. 1 (2022).

States of Divergence by Minor Compositions on Scribd

Ordering Information
For Ordering in the UK Only

Available direct from Minor Compositions (in the UK) now for the special price of £10.
For ordering in the US or Canada it can be purchased from AK Press or Autonomedia.

You can also download it here: States of Divergence

256 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, paperback
UK: £20 / US: $25
ISBN 978-1-57027-431-2

Release to the book trade 1 May 2025