Michael Robert Watson

Michael Robert "Mike" Watson (born 1979) is a British-born art critic, media and cultural theorist, and curator, currently based in Finland.

Education
In 2012, Watson completed his PhD thesis at Goldsmiths College, University of London, in the department of Visual Cultures, under the supervision of Alex Duttmann, moderated by Howard Caygill and Peter Hallward. His thesis examined the relationship between Theodor Adorno's Shudder and Conceptual Art.

Career
In 2012, Watson founded Joan of Art: Towards a Free Education, in collaboration with Nomas Foundation of Rome, which envisaged a free education system set up within a network of art spaces. Additionally, he has curated numerous international projects and exhibitions including at the MACRO Museum and Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, Rome; the Venice Biennale in 2013 and 2015 and Manifesta12 in 2018.

As a writer, Watson has regularly contributed to Frieze, Art Review,    Nero and Radical Philosophy, on topics such as art, social activism and education.

Watson has curated performance events and exhibitions with well-known political artists such as Oliver Ressler, Marinella Senatore, and the Russian collective Chto Delat, as well as performing as a VJ in collaboration with audio and visual artist Simone Bertugno, in venues including the Parco Auditorium della Musica and Galleria Nazionale dell'Arte Moderna, Rome. He also conceived the artistic performance work Machines of Loving Grace in collaboration with artist Harold de Bree at the opening of the 55th Biennale di Venezia.

His first book entitled Towards a Conceptual Militancy, published by ZerO books, came out in May 2016. Can the Left Learn to Meme: Adorno, Video Games and Stranger Things was released in November 2019 and The Memeing of Mark Fisher: How the Frankfurt School Foresaw Capitalist Realism and What To Do About It in October 2021, both also published by ZerO books.

In 2024 he founded Revol Press with author and migration lawyer Dan Melo https://www.revolpress.com.

He has taught as a visitor in Communications, Art Theory, and Writing at The New Centre for Research and Practice, The Royal College of Art, London, Estonia Academy of Arts, Tallinn, IULM, Milan, Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst Basel FHNW, Switzerland, besides others. He teaches long term in Finland.