Art History, Curation and Practice After Media
CHArt Twenty-Second Annual Conference
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FAST FORWARD: Art History, Curation and Practice After Media |
RISK: Creative Action in Political Culture: Presenting Process-Based Art-Activism in an Exhibition Environment
Ele Carpenter
Self-organisation, direct action, collaboration and social networks have long been the characteristics of activism and socially-engaged art practice. They are now the characteristics of much new media art, within the public realm of the web, and interdisciplinary practice. But the spheres of discourse still remain distinct.
The exhibition RISK: Creative Action in Political Culture (CCA Glasgow, March – May 2005) curated by Ele Carpenter, brought together work by artists who endeavour to make creative political change through their practice, working across art and activism, using a range of strategies and technologies. Over 30 artists took part in RISK including: Aisling O’Beirn, The Atlas Group, Doug Aubrey, Ross Birrell, Jota Castro, Ruth Catlow, Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army, Critical Art Ensemble, Andrea Crociani, Ghazel, Gregory Green, Jordan and Hewitt, ICOLS, Martin Krenn, Torsten Lauschmann, Maris, Harold Offeh, Josh On, Platform, Jai Redman, Oliver Ressler and David Thorne, Kate Rich, Jackie Salloum, UHC, Yes Men, Vacuum Cleaner, and Variant. More information is at www.riskproject.org.ukEle will present documentation of the RISK exhibition in the context of her doctoral research with CRUMB. In particular this paper discusses the relationship between socially-engaged art and new media art activism. Immersion in tactical media tools has enabled some artists and activists to work together for a while – but how does this impact on curatorial practice? The development model of open-source has its roots in self-organisation; creative commons is a realisation of the principle of the freedom of information. Why is it that the visual arts are only beginning to take the socio-political imaginary of self-organisation seriously through the model of open source? What are the implications for CHArt?