Decadent Times: Drift, Drag, and Deliquescence

Decadence has long been associated with the end of times: the end of eras, decline, sickness, death, and decay. As Jules de Goncourt lay dying, his brother Edmond recorded his impressions: ‘there spread an expression that was no longer human, the veiled, mysterious expression of a Leonardo da Vinci’. The diary entry neatly encapsulates the strange times of decadence. Like a screen flickering in and out of definition, Jules’ dying body has become an interface for a resurgent past. Focusing on the decadent fascination with drift, drag, and deliquescence, this panel explores how decadent subjects re-imagined the body’s relationship with time in art, literature, and performance.

Panel: Alice Condé, Frankie Dytor, and Jessica Gossling