Initially known for its introduction of French theory to American readers, Semiotext(e) has been one of America’s most influential independent presses since its inception five decades ago. With works of theory, fiction, madness, economics, satire, sexuality, science fiction, activism, and confession, Semiotext(e)’s highly curated list of publications has famously melded high and low forms of cultural expression into a nuanced and polemical vision of the present.

On view in the Annex Gallery, Desert Islands is a visual archipelago of printed writers’ quotes pulled from Semiotext(e)‘s catalogue. Dream Machine (2026) is a sculpture/collage by Hedi El Kholti in homage to Brion Gysin’s original Dreamachine created in the 1960s and the 1978 Nova Convention organized by John Giorno and Sylvère Lotringer where artists, writers, and theorists converged to celebrate the work of William S. Burroughs.

On the ICA LA bookshelves, you’ll find selections from Semiotext(e) authors including Jean Baudrillard, William S. Burroughs, Didier Eribon, Catherine Breillat, the Invisible Committee, Eileen Myles, Veronica Gonzalez Peña, David Wojnarowicz, Abdellah Taïa, Idris Robinson, Félix Guattari, Dodie Bellamy, Gary Indiana, Jackie Wang, Natasha Stagg, Ian Penman, Franco “Bifo” Berardi, Constance Debré, Houria Bouteldja, Serge Daney, Hervé Guibert, and Peter Sloterdjik. An anthology, Hatred of Capitalism, was published in 2001 to mark Semiotext(e)’s move to the MIT Press as its distributor.

Semiotext(e) was founded by Sylvère Lotringer. Today, it is coedited by Hedi El Kholti and Chris Kraus.