The Internal Papers of the Secret Society of Acéphale and Lectures to the College of Sociology
By Georges Bataille. Edited with introduction by Alastair Brotchie, Marina Galletti. Text by Roger Caillois, Pierre Klossowski, Michel Leiris, et al. Illustrations by André Masson. Translation by John Harman, Natasha Lehrer.
Georges Bataille's secret society, long the stuff of legend, is now revealed in its texts, meditations, rules and prohibitions
This book recounts what must be one of the most unusual intellectual journeys of modern times, in which the influential philosopher, cultural theorist and occasional pornographer Georges Bataille (1897–1962), having spent the early 1930s in far-left groups opposing the rise of fascism, abandoned that approach in order to transfer the struggle onto "the mythological plane."
In 1937, Bataille founded two groups in order to explore the combinations of power and the "sacred" at work in society. The first group, the College of Sociology, gave lectures that were intended to reveal the hidden undercurrents within a society on the verge of catastrophe. The second group was Acéphale, a genuine secret society and anti-religion whose emblem was a headless figure that, in part, represented the death of God. Until the discovery a few years ago of the group's internal papers (which include theoretical texts, meditations, minutes of meetings, rules and prohibitions and even a membership list), almost nothing was known of its activities.
This book is the first to collect a representative selection of the writings of Bataille, and of those close to him, in the years leading up to World War II. The texts published here comprise lectures given to the College of Sociology by Bataille, Roger Caillois and Michel Leiris, essays from the Acéphale journal and a large cache of the internal papers from the secret society. A desperate narrative unfolds, wherein Bataille risked all in a wholly unreasonable quest—with a few fellow travelers, he undertook what he later described as a "journey out of this world."
Featured image is reproduced from 'The Sacred Conspiracy.'
PRAISE AND REVIEWS
NPR
Laura Beltrán Villamizar
Scenes from Mexico's strikingly diverse landscapes, peoples and intricacies. Her approach to photography, even after 50 years, is one that has helped her standout from the canon of other photographers.
in stock $34.95
Free Shipping
UPS GROUND IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. FOR CONSUMER ONLINE ORDERS
NEW YORK Showroom by Appointment Only 75 Broad Street, Suite 630 New York NY 10004 Tel 212 627 1999
LOS ANGELES Showroom by Appointment Only
818 S. Broadway, Suite 700 Los Angeles, CA 90014 Tel. 323 969 8985
ARTBOOK LLC D.A.P. | Distributed Art Publishers, Inc.
All site content Copyright C 2000-2017 by Distributed Art Publishers, Inc. and the respective publishers, authors, artists. For reproduction permissions, contact the copyright holders.
The D.A.P. Catalog www.artbook.com
Distributed by D.A.P.
FORMAT: Hbk, 6.75 x 9.25 in. / 480 pgs / 95 b&w. LIST PRICE: U.S. $34.95 LIST PRICE: CANADA $45.95 ISBN: 9781900565950 PUBLISHER: Atlas Press AVAILABLE: 4/24/2018 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Active AVAILABILITY: In stock TERRITORY: NA LA ME
The Sacred Conspiracy The Internal Papers of the Secret Society of Acéphale and Lectures to the College of Sociology
Georges Bataille's secret society, long the stuff of legend, is now revealed in its texts, meditations, rules and prohibitions
Published by Atlas Press. By Georges Bataille. Edited with introduction by Alastair Brotchie, Marina Galletti. Text by Roger Caillois, Pierre Klossowski, Michel Leiris, et al. Illustrations by André Masson. Translation by John Harman, Natasha Lehrer.
This book recounts what must be one of the most unusual intellectual journeys of modern times, in which the influential philosopher, cultural theorist and occasional pornographer Georges Bataille (1897–1962), having spent the early 1930s in far-left groups opposing the rise of fascism, abandoned that approach in order to transfer the struggle onto "the mythological plane."
In 1937, Bataille founded two groups in order to explore the combinations of power and the "sacred" at work in society. The first group, the College of Sociology, gave lectures that were intended to reveal the hidden undercurrents within a society on the verge of catastrophe. The second group was Acéphale, a genuine secret society and anti-religion whose emblem was a headless figure that, in part, represented the death of God. Until the discovery a few years ago of the group's internal papers (which include theoretical texts, meditations, minutes of meetings, rules and prohibitions and even a membership list), almost nothing was known of its activities.
This book is the first to collect a representative selection of the writings of Bataille, and of those close to him, in the years leading up to World War II. The texts published here comprise lectures given to the College of Sociology by Bataille, Roger Caillois and Michel Leiris, essays from the Acéphale journal and a large cache of the internal papers from the secret society. A desperate narrative unfolds, wherein Bataille risked all in a wholly unreasonable quest—with a few fellow travelers, he undertook what he later described as a "journey out of this world."
