Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie 2026: Class Hegemony in Contemporary Art
Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie 2026: Class Hegemony in Contemporary Art
Over a period of nearly five years, Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie interrogated how class structures shape the production, presentation and reception of contemporary art. Initiated in 2006, the project asked complex, unresolved questions, such as: How does class impact who becomes an artist or curator? Can contemporary art itself be seen as a privilege of the middle classes? Twenty years on, we return to these questions and ask why class continues to be so easily overlooked in the production and presentation of art, even at a time when matters of political equality are far more prevalent than before.
In fact, when it comes to these questions, the art field itself may have more to contribute than meets the eye. We all know the art world is not exactly a meritocracy. But it may have proposals to share nonetheless. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that contributions by art workers were overlooked or undervalued, by historians and theorists alike. By means of a project archive and a public programme, Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie is a chance to build on such ideas, scenarios and analyses, and to imagine new perspectives for art and beyond.
Originally curated by Nav Haq and Tirdad Zolghadr, featuring artists Annika Eriksson, Chris Evans, San Keller, Hassan Khan, Marion von Osten, Natascha Sadr Haghighian and others. Revisited at de Appel in 2026 by curators Eszter Szakács and Tirdad Zolghadr, with new contributions by artists Özgür Atlagan and Alina Lupu.
Opening programme
The opening programme on Saturday 12 September is a one-day symposium featuring some of the original artists and contributors of Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie, as well as new contributing artists and discussants around issues of class.
Part 1
11:00 Doors open
11:15 Words of welcome by Lara Khaldi, artistic director of de Appel, and Eszter Szakács, co-curator of Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie 2026
11:30 Introduction by Tirdad Zolghadr, co-curator of Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie
12:00 (Art) Workers and Solidarity: Alina Lupu, Sepp Eckenhaussen, Özgür Atlagan, moderated by Eszter Szakács. The conversation with new contributing artists to Lapdogs, Özgür Atlagan and Alina Lupu, as well as organiser Sepp Eckenhaussen, looks at class divides and the ways in which art workers have responded to them over time.
13:00 Lunch
Part 2
14:00 Revisiting Lapdogs: Annika Eriksson, Chris Evans, Peter Spillmann, moderated by Eszter Szakács and Tirdad Zolghadr. How to revisit an artwork, a project, a time, a generation? Together with Peter Spillmann, partner and close collaborator of Marion von Osten (1963-2020), participating artists Annika Eriksson and Chris Evans discuss the conceptual and historiographic challenges of commemorative efforts, from gestural homages to material archives.
15:00 Goodbye to All That: possible exits from and endings to contemporary art, a conversation between Natascha Sadr Haghighian and Suhail Malik, moderated by Tirdad Zolghadr. Will contemporary art ever truly confront the class divides which define it? How far has the field come and how much further can it realistically go? To chart a 25 year trajectory is also an opportunity to ask fundamental questions, and to speculatively plot new ground.
16:00 Coffee break
16:30 Listening Session by Hassan Khan. Khan presents a selection of tracks, songs and music videos including an obscure self-portrait from Sly Stone's last album, various iterations of early 2000s new wave Shaabi and peak Egyptian Hip-Hop from the late 2010s, to discuss the conceptual and aesthetic tools that music and popular culture can offer as an antidote to the inherent neurotic anxieties of institutional contemporary art.
Part 3 (no reservation necessary)
18:00 Nothing's Perfect by San Keller. Christian Dior's gold-tipped baton was used during studio tours to point out flaws in the work of his employees. For participating artist San Keller's performance, an identical baton will be utilised by an art worker who tours the premises, baton in hand.
18:20 Drinks
20:00 End
If you would like to attend the full programme, please make sure to reserve for both part 1 and part 2. Lunch is included in part 1.
Over a period of nearly five years, Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie interrogated how class structures shape the production, presentation and reception of contemporary art. Initiated in 2006, the project asked complex, unresolved questions, such as: How does class impact who becomes an artist or curator? Can contemporary art itself be seen as a privilege of the middle classes? Twenty years on, we return to these questions and ask why class continues to be so easily overlooked in the production and presentation of art, even at a time when matters of political equality are far more prevalent than before.
In fact, when it comes to these questions, the art field itself may have more to contribute than meets the eye. We all know the art world is not exactly a meritocracy. But it may have proposals to share nonetheless. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that contributions by art workers were overlooked or undervalued, by historians and theorists alike. By means of a project archive and a public programme, Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie is a chance to build on such ideas, scenarios and analyses, and to imagine new perspectives for art and beyond.
Originally curated by Nav Haq and Tirdad Zolghadr, featuring artists Annika Eriksson, Chris Evans, San Keller, Hassan Khan, Marion von Osten, Natascha Sadr Haghighian and others. Revisited at de Appel in 2026 by curators Eszter Szakács and Tirdad Zolghadr, with new contributions by artists Özgür Atlagan and Alina Lupu.
Opening programme
The opening programme on Saturday 12 September is a one-day symposium featuring some of the original artists and contributors of Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie, as well as new contributing artists and discussants around issues of class.
Part 1
11:00 Doors open
11:15 Words of welcome by Lara Khaldi, artistic director of de Appel, and Eszter Szakács, co-curator of Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie 2026
11:30 Introduction by Tirdad Zolghadr, co-curator of Lapdogs of the Bourgeoisie
12:00 (Art) Workers and Solidarity: Alina Lupu, Sepp Eckenhaussen, Özgür Atlagan, moderated by Eszter Szakács. The conversation with new contributing artists to Lapdogs, Özgür Atlagan and Alina Lupu, as well as organiser Sepp Eckenhaussen, looks at class divides and the ways in which art workers have responded to them over time.
13:00 Lunch
Part 2
14:00 Revisiting Lapdogs: Annika Eriksson, Chris Evans, Peter Spillmann, moderated by Eszter Szakács and Tirdad Zolghadr. How to revisit an artwork, a project, a time, a generation? Together with Peter Spillmann, partner and close collaborator of Marion von Osten (1963-2020), participating artists Annika Eriksson and Chris Evans discuss the conceptual and historiographic challenges of commemorative efforts, from gestural homages to material archives.
15:00 Goodbye to All That: possible exits from and endings to contemporary art, a conversation between Natascha Sadr Haghighian and Suhail Malik, moderated by Tirdad Zolghadr. Will contemporary art ever truly confront the class divides which define it? How far has the field come and how much further can it realistically go? To chart a 25 year trajectory is also an opportunity to ask fundamental questions, and to speculatively plot new ground.
16:00 Coffee break
16:30 Listening Session by Hassan Khan. Khan presents a selection of tracks, songs and music videos including an obscure self-portrait from Sly Stone's last album, various iterations of early 2000s new wave Shaabi and peak Egyptian Hip-Hop from the late 2010s, to discuss the conceptual and aesthetic tools that music and popular culture can offer as an antidote to the inherent neurotic anxieties of institutional contemporary art.
Part 3 (no reservation necessary)
18:00 Nothing's Perfect by San Keller. Christian Dior's gold-tipped baton was used during studio tours to point out flaws in the work of his employees. For participating artist San Keller's performance, an identical baton will be utilised by an art worker who tours the premises, baton in hand.
18:20 Drinks
20:00 End
If you would like to attend the full programme, please make sure to reserve for both part 1 and part 2. Lunch is included in part 1.