Sven Lütticken on States of Divergence

e-flux journal Associate Editor Andreas Petrossiants discusses States of Divergence with author 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 blends personal narrative, historical inquiry, and theoretical reflection to question what it means to live—and resist—within the contradictions of our time.

Sven Lütticken is an associate professor at Leiden University's Academy of Creative and Performing Arts / PhDArts and he coordinates the research master's track, Critical Studies in Art and Culture at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. His books include Objections: Forms of Abstraction, Vol. 1 (Sternberg Press, 2022), the critical reader Art and Autonomy (Afterall, 2022), and States of Divergence (Minor Compositions, 2025).

Read essays by Sven Lütticken in e-flux journal here.