Brutalism: The Next Liberal Order of the 21st Century

Brutalism, a theoretical concept originally linked with architectural issues, can also be seen as having a political economy rendition. This article approaches the concept of brutalism, linking it to the crisis of liberalism and the structuration of neoliberalism’s extractive practices in the global south. Building on Mbembe’s theorization of brutalism, this article examines our living conditions, considering the incremental violence inherent in the political economy. Under brutalism, life and liveability are no longer contingent on a democratic setup but are instead dictated by the exceptionality invested in the state-capital nexus, splitting the world into liveable and non-liveable zones, underpinned by the deep state’s exclusive, predatory rights. The brutal living conditions in peripheral zones are symptomatic of a quotidian reality that reinforces the notion of incremental violence – a kind of violence that does not come across as threatening or disabling – rather it is in proportion to one’s absorbing capacity. It further links brutalism to the rapacious and self-serving nature of corporatism, identifying it as neofascism since the notions of freedom and security are constantly punctured.