As many of you know, I am all into studying and evaluating the connections between art/aesthetics and social change. Como siempre pasa, este interés lleva a que esté muy en sintonía con todo lo que tiene que ver con physchology, art, human behaviour, the mind, society, politics. (como cuando uno quiere un coche y de repente no para de verlo por todas partes). If anyone were to ask, I would have to say that these are the "key words" that rule my life nowadays. (Well... and Sandy Hook )
A couple of weeks ago while waiting at Ezeiza Airport (Buenos Aires) to come back home, I was reading a great, great article from this artsy magazine that Tony had given me a few days before. The article focused on the 29th Sao Paulo Biennial and discussed how Biennales in SP have an "ongoing fixation on the relationship between art and politics..."
The article presented an interesting critique /analysis on the concept of art and politics asking where an artist or curator's commitment to radical politics and social change begins and ends (I would add to that and where the human rights activists/educator's role begins and ends in the art world) and discussing the influence of philosophers like Alain Badiou or Jacques Ranciere and his Politics of Aesthetics.
The key question raised that I now want to raise to y'all, my readers :) is:
While we all agree that "given the bleak state of our planet [...] to avoid addressing politics would seem a dreadful sin for any enlightened and socially conscious individual," how can we tap into the power of art to ensure that we don't go to a gallery space just to be told something we can read in the newspaper ? How can we do effective art that leads to real social change?
PLEASE ENLIGHT ME
Emory Douglas Black Panthers
El Gernika de Picasso
Angel/Devil
Oliviero Toscani for United Colors of Benetton
Oliviero Toscani for United Colors of Benetton
