In times of increasing social polarization, local artistic initiatives are gaining importance. These initiatives often adopt a multidisciplinary approach, involving local communities, diverse fields of knowledge, and public spaces. In this way, they create opportunities for encounters and promote dialog between different groups. At the same time, however, they are frequently subject to external scrutiny and must withstand criticism.
What is the scope for interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and socially engaged art practices? What approaches and models can be identified? How do artists and participants, through collaboration, gain practical strategies and methods for civil society resilience?
"Opening Space | Promoting Encounters" addresses topics that emerged in discussions among IGBK delegates. Today, artists are once again increasingly working at the interfaces with other disciplines and addressing socio-spatial and participatory issues. This is giving rise to new formats and networks in which different practices come together.
Many initiatives are moving away from institutional contexts and seeking direct encounters with people in everyday life. Performative or site-specific approaches open up new avenues, encourage participation, and make social issues visible.
At the same time, regional or international differences—for example, in funding structures or access to public space—play a role, as does the question of how these initiatives are received or resisted by the public. What experiences do artists have? What developments can be observed over time?
In terms of content, "Opening Space | Promoting Encounters" ties in with earlier IGBK projects such as "Fragile Affinities" and "Art Space Connect," which focused on independent art initiatives, work opportunities and civil liberties for artists, and international solidarity. Methodologically, however, the project is also reminiscent of the artistic research interview series "dreams of art spaces collected" (between 2008 and 2015), as it once again focuses on the concrete practical experiences of selected initiatives.
The interviews conducted by IGBK delegates thus provide an initial picture: What is the scope for interdisciplinary, cross-genre, and socially oriented art practices, also in an international comparison?
The project managers of "Opening Space | Promoting Encounters" are Christine Düwel and Doris Weinberger (members of the IGBK board).
