dr. T.E. (Thijs) Lijster

Thijs Lijster (1981) studied philosophy at the University of Groningen and the New School for Social Research in New York. In 2012 he received his PhD in philosophy (cum laude) at the University of Groningen, for a dissertation on Walter Benjamin’s and Theodor W. Adorno’s concepts of art criticism. He lectured on philosophy of art and culture at the Faculties of Philosophy and Arts of the University of Groningen, and the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Amsterdam. Currently he is assistant professor of philosophy of art and culture at the department of Arts, Culture and Media studies of the University of Groningen. Lijster won several awards: in 2009 he received the ABG/VN Essay prize, in 2010 the Dutch/Flemish Prize for Young Art Criticism, and in 2015 the NWO/Boekman dissertation award. He wrote and edited several books in Dutch. He contributed to books such as Conceptions of Critique in Modern and Contemporary Philosophy (eds. De Boer and Sonderegger), Institutional Attitudes and No Culture, No Europe (ed. Gielen), was coeditor of Spaces for Criticism. Shifts in Contemporary Art Discourses (2015), and The Rise of the Common City (2022), and editor of The Future of the New. Artistic Innovation in Times of Social Acceleration (2018). In 2017 he published Benjamin and Adorno on Art and Art Criticism. Critique of Art (AUP). He also wrote numerous books in Dutch, among which De grote vlucht inwaarts [The great leap inward], Kijken, proeven, denken [Seeing, tasting, thinking], Wat we gemeen hebben [What we have in common] and Frankfurter Schule.

Education

PhD in Philosophy (cum laude) 2012

MA in Philosophy (cum laude) 2006

BA in Philosophy 2004

Awards

KANTL Essay prize 2018

NWO/Boekman dissertation award 2015

Dutch/Flemish Prize for Young Art Criticism 2010

ABG/VN Essayprize 2009