Ben Seymour
Staff details
Ben Seymour's principle areas of research are: 1) the relationship between urban regeneration, gentrification and culture which he has explored in films, articles and visual essays, and 2) the culture and politics of contemporary capitalism from social precariousness and creative economy ideology, to art and financialisation. In addition to teaching, Ben is a writer and deputy editor of Mute magazine.
Professional projects
Ben's films about gentrification, particularly in the London borough of Hackney, have attracted international attention and been screened at The Other Cinema, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Leeds International Festival and galleries, local community screenings and events in UK, Spain, Amsterdam and NYC.
He has been invited to speak on issues from utopian potentialities to the consequences of capital at the Goethe Institute's Serpentine Gallery Sweathshop, Soho Theatre and the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow among others. In 2003, he co-programmed a screening of three films on gentrification at The Other Gallery in Hackney, where his film 'The London Particular' debuted.
He has helped establish and coordinate reading groups on Marx's Capital and contemporary capitalism in Hackney and Brooklyn.
Publications
Show/Exhibition
‘ASBO as agent’
Seymour, Benedict. 2005. ‘ASBO as agent’. In: "TOTAL ASBO show", Pogo Cafe,, United Kingdom.
Conference or Workshop Item
Principio Potosí. Modernidad y la llamada acumulación originaria.
Seymour, Benedict. 2010. 'Principio Potosí. Modernidad y la llamada acumulación originaria.'. In: Principio Potosí. Modernidad y la llamada acumulación originaria. Reina Sofia, United Kingdom.
Article
Creativity's Rainbow
Seymour, Benedict. 2009. Creativity's Rainbow. MUTE MAGAZINE, 2(14), pp. 100-107. ISSN ISSN 1356-7748-214
Drowning by Numbers: The Non-Reproduction of New Orleans
Seymour, Benedict. 2006. Drowning by Numbers: The Non-Reproduction of New Orleans. Mute,
Introduction: Another Green World
Seymour, Benedict. 2006. Introduction: Another Green World. Mute, 2(3), pp. 114-119. ISSN 0955066433
Free Speech as Shibboleth: on the Danish Cartoons
Seymour, Benedict. 2006. Free Speech as Shibboleth: on the Danish Cartoons. Mute, 2(2),
Mutiny in the Mainstream
Seymour, Benedict. 2006. Mutiny in the Mainstream. Journal of Visual Culture, 5(1), pp. 112-114. ISSN 14704129
The Re-Occupation
Seymour, Benedict and Iles, Anthony. 2005. The Re-Occupation. Mute,
Drawings for ‘Underneath the Knowledge Commons’
Seymour, Benedict. 2005. Drawings for ‘Underneath the Knowledge Commons’. Mute, 2(1),
Create and/or Be Damned
Seymour, Benedict. 2005. Create and/or Be Damned. Mute,
‘Shoreditch: from Shit to Gold – a photo essay’
Seymour, Benedict. 2004. ‘Shoreditch: from Shit to Gold – a photo essay’. Greenpepper magazine,
An Architecture of Play: A Survey of London's Adventure Playgrounds by Nils Norman, review
Seymour, Benedict. 2004. An Architecture of Play: A Survey of London's Adventure Playgrounds by Nils Norman, review. Mutella newsletter,
SPECIAL PROJECT: Fear Death by Water (The Regeneration Siege in Central Hackney)
Seymour, Benedict and Kimble, Lucy. 2003. SPECIAL PROJECT: Fear Death by Water (The Regeneration Siege in Central Hackney). Mute, 1(26),
The Involuntary Victims of the Aztecs
Seymour, Benedict. 2003. The Involuntary Victims of the Aztecs. Mute,
Real Politik versus Real Fantasy (Review of the Tate Modern's Border Crossing seminar)
Seymour, Benedict. 2002. Real Politik versus Real Fantasy (Review of the Tate Modern's Border Crossing seminar). Mute,
Back to Zero
Seymour, Benedict. 2002. Back to Zero. Mute, 1(21),
Review of Bart Wells Gang, Bart Wells Institute
Seymour, Benedict. 2002. Review of Bart Wells Gang, Bart Wells Institute. Frieze, 66,
Bio-Pics
Seymour, Benedict. 2002. Bio-Pics. Mute, 1(23),
When Worlds Collide
Seymour, Benedict. 2002. When Worlds Collide. Frieze, 65,
The Last Picture Show
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. The Last Picture Show. Mute, 1(22),
DO THE RIGHT THING! - DIE ANTI-GLOBALISIERUNGS-BEWEGUNG NACH DEM 11. SEPTEMBER
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. DO THE RIGHT THING! - DIE ANTI-GLOBALISIERUNGS-BEWEGUNG NACH DEM 11. SEPTEMBER. Texte zur kunst, 44, pp. 112-119. ISSN 09409459
Blockbusting the Election
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. Blockbusting the Election. Mute, 1(20),
Nationalize This! What Next for Anti-Globalization Protests?
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. Nationalize This! What Next for Anti-Globalization Protests? Radical Philosophy, 107, pp. 2-5. ISSN 0300-211X
Two or Three Things I Know About Her
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. Two or Three Things I Know About Her. Mute, 1(19),
The Battle of Seattle
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. The Battle of Seattle. Log,
Review Chad McCail, Laurent Delaye Gallery
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. Review Chad McCail, Laurent Delaye Gallery. Frieze, 57,
Review Jeremy Deadman, Five Years
Seymour, Benedict. 2001. Review Jeremy Deadman, Five Years. Frieze, 56,
Review ‘Club Circuits’
Seymour, Benedict. 2000. Review ‘Club Circuits’. Public Art Journal,
Rabble Rousers
Seymour, Benedict. 2000. Rabble Rousers. Mute, 1(18),
Coral Maze
Seymour, Benedict. 2000. Coral Maze. Mute, 1(17),
Everything Must Go
Seymour, Benedict. 2000. Everything Must Go. Mute, 1(16),
Review ‘Wooden Heart’
Seymour, Benedict. 2000. Review ‘Wooden Heart’. Art Monthly, 235,
Review Henry Bond, Emily Tsingou
Seymour, Benedict. 1999. Review Henry Bond, Emily Tsingou. Frieze, 54,
‘Rehabilitating the Subject’ – review of The Ticklish Subject by Slavoj Zizek,
Seymour, Benedict. 1999. ‘Rehabilitating the Subject’ – review of The Ticklish Subject by Slavoj Zizek,. Mute, 1(13),
The Situationist City
Seymour, Benedict. 1998. The Situationist City. Mute, 1(11),
Book Section
Art and the Utopia of (Non-)Reproduction
Seymour, Benedict. 2014. Art and the Utopia of (Non-)Reproduction. In: John Chilver and Brighid Lowe, eds. Manual: Parts and Labour. Osan: Gwak Sang-wook, Osan Culture Foundation, pp. 22-23. ISBN 978-89-968948-2-8
Primer
Seymour, Benedict. 2013. Primer. In: David Riff; Ekaterina Degott and Jill Winder, eds. Monday Begins on Saturday. Berlin: Sternberg Press, pp. 123-163. ISBN 978-3-943365-74-0
Text and images of regeneration mapping project in Else/where: Mapping — New Cartographies of Networks and Territories
Seymour, Benedict. 2006. Text and images of regeneration mapping project in Else/where: Mapping — New Cartographies of Networks and Territories. In: Janet Abrams and Peter Hall, eds. Else/where: Mapping — New Cartographies of Networks and Territories. University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-0972969628
Edited Book
The Class of the New
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2006. The Class of the New. Mute. ISBN 978-0955066474
Edited Journal
Mute Magazine Vol 2 #15
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2010. Mute Magazine Vol 2 #15, MUTE MAGAZINE, 2(15). 1356-7748-215
It's Not Easy Being Green
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2007. It's Not Easy Being Green, Mute, 2(5).
Man’s Best Friendster?,
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2007. Man’s Best Friendster?,, Mute, 2(4).
Living in a Bubble: Credit, Debt and Crisis
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2007. Living in a Bubble: Credit, Debt and Crisis, Mute, 2(6).
Naked Cities - Struggle in the Global Slums
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2006. Naked Cities - Struggle in the Global Slums, Mute, 2(3).
Dis-integrating Multiculturalism
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2006. Dis-integrating Multiculturalism, Mute, 2(2).
britart.com
Seymour, Benedict, ed. 2000. britart.com, britart.com, .
Film/Video
Dead the Ends
Seymour, Benedict. 2017. Dead the Ends.
Can Dialectics Break Gravity? (2014)
Seymour, Benedict and Noel-Tod, Matthew. 2014. Can Dialectics Break Gravity? (2014).
The London Particular
Seymour, Benedict. 2007. The London Particular.
The occupation
Seymour, Benedict. 2007. The occupation.