Benjamin Gerdes

Benjamin Gerdes is an Assistant Professor of Broadcasting at Long Island University, specifically within the School of Visual Arts, Communications and Digital Technologies. He holds a B.A. in Modern Culture and Media from Brown University and an M.F.A. in Integrated Media Arts from Hunter College, along with a Certificate from the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program. He has previously taught at Cooper Union, Bard College, and Parsons the New School for Art and Design, reflecting a strong national and international teaching presence.

• B.A., Modern Culture and Media, Brown University
• M.F.A., Integrated Media Arts, Hunter College
• Certificate, Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program

Gerdes is an artist, writer, and organizer whose work sits at the intersection of radical politics, knowledge production, and popular imagination. His research explores the affective and social impacts of economic and state systems, often through historical inquiry, and investigates how art and cultural projects can catalyze social change. His specialties include collaborative art production, narrative/non-fiction hybrids, the film/video essay, experimental non-fiction, media and social movements, transnational immigration politics, and creative practices merging art and activism. His work critically engages with alternatives to capitalism and the political potential of self-organized educational projects.

His artistic output spans publications, lectures, exhibitions, and curation. His recent publications and presentations reveal a consistent focus on the intersections of art, labor, and political resistance, with recurring themes in financial speculation, documentary ethics, digital labor, and transnational solidarity. His work has been featured in prominent venues such as the Centre Pompidou, Tate Modern, New Museum, and Rotterdam International Film Festival.

• Best Exhibition of 2015, Kulturkongen, Denmark (for 'Rewriting Histories')

Gerdes is actively involved in mentoring and organizing, particularly through collaborative projects with artist Jennifer Hayashida. Their joint work, such as the Room of the Sun series, exemplifies a commitment to non-hierarchical, polyvocal artistic research. He has not received formal grants in the provided text, but his curatorial and collaborative projects suggest ongoing institutional and community support. He is also engaged in public-facing initiatives like Postcards to AZ, which fosters solidarity with immigrant rights organizations.

Gerdes co-organizes the 16Beaver collective and frequently collaborates on public projects that blur the lines between art, education, and activism. His recent curation of Rewriting Histories and involvement in the Silent University Project at Tate Modern highlight his role in creating platforms for alternative knowledge exchange and critical discourse.