Six-part curatorial commitment
- What specific issues would guide you?
My curatorial practice emphasizes inclusion and diversity and deeply connects with the core values of community. It explores issues related to community engagement and social justice (Lawton & Harris, 2019) and aims to raise public awareness about abandoned Spaces. My original intention is not only to create art exhibitions, but also to build a platform for education and social engagement to promote public understanding and participation in abandoned Spaces and social practice art (Sanders-Bustle, 2020).
- Why are these issues so pressing?
The exploration of abandoned Spaces is extremely important, as numerous studies have shown that the importance, significance and utility of urban wild landscapes are far greater than commonly recognized (Jorgensen, 2012). In the case of the project “Never Can Say Goodbye,” artists take over an abandoned Tower Records store to both celebrate the history of the Tarr record label and explore its demise through the interaction between visual art and music.
- How would you actively encourage change?
I hope I can actively encourage change by organizing diverse artist groups and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. This includes the use of new media and technology to broaden the audience and participation of the arts. Such as Arts Without Borders (AWB), they promote artistic practice among artists and the wider community, in particular encouraging creative activities that bring together different members of the cultural and creative community.
- Who would you collaborate with to facilitate this change?
Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre’s ‘Gunkanjima’ series: photographs exploring abandoned islands that echo Edinburgh’s maritime history.
Robert Polidori’s photography of urban ruins: shows the transformation of historic buildings and abandoned Spaces, prompting reflections on urban development and memory.
Doris Salcedo’s installation: Telling stories of forgetting and loss through everyday objects, forming a dialogue with community engagement projects.
There are also local artists in Edin exploring abandoned Spaces.
- How would you ensure that these changes had longevity?
While longevity can be difficult to guarantee, we can conduct regular assessments to ensure projects are aligned with community needs and expectations, and adjust strategies as appropriate.
- What would be your guiding principle?
Caring is the antidote to violence.(Gary and Ja’tovia, 2020).This means that by focusing on and engaging with abandoned Spaces, we not only re-examine their role in urban life, but also provide a platform to promote community engagement and social justice through artistic intervention, education and social practice.
In the group discussion this Wednesday, I took notes, clarified the requirements of BLOG, and explored the name of the collective project within the group.
References:
Arts Without Borders. (n.d.). About. Available at: https://www.artswithoutborders.co.uk/about [Accessed 12 Feb 2024].
Gary, J. (2020) PROJECT JA’TOVIA GARY: Care is the ANTIDOTE TO VIOLENCE. Vol. 58. Artforum International Magazine, Inc.
Jorgensen, Anna. & Keenan, Richard. (2012) Urban wildscapes / edited by Anna Jorgensen and Richard Keenan. London ; Routledge.pp 170-236.
Lawton, P. H. (2019) At the Crossroads of Intersecting Ideologies: Community-Based Art Education, Community Engagement, and Social Practice Art. Studies in art education. [Online] 60 (3), 203–218.
Sanders-Bustle, L. (2020) Review of Art as Social Action: An introduction to the principles and practices of teaching social practice art. Art/Research International. [Online] 5 (1), 223–232.
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