Niels Albertsen
Keywords: atmosphere, power, critique, politics, Böhme, Lukes, Spinoza, Foucault, Rancière
This paper has three interrelated parts. First, atmosphere is approached through the concept of power. Atmospheres ‘grip’ us directly or mediate power indirectly by manipulating moods and evoking emotions. How does atmosphere relate to different conceptions of power? Second, atmospheric powers may be critiqued. Which conception of critique can be involved? Third, critiquing atmospheric powers can generate political conflict. How does atmospheric disputes relate to conceptions of politics and the political?