25 Aug 2016

Intentions in Action: autumn events announced as part of year-long public engagement programme at CCA Glasgow

Intentions in Action is a year-long public programme on the relationship between art and society, leading to an exhibition in 2017. Focussing on the current development of socially engaged artistic practices, national and international artists are invited to publicly present their work and methodologies, while engaging with practical workshops and expanding on existing research. The public are encouraged to join the artists and bring their views and expertise in long-term community projects on the dynamics in which art and society, food and culture, urban planning and research can interact.

In April 2016 the Social Intentions symposium kicked off the programme, inviting pioneering institutions in the field of socially engaged art practices from all over Europe to come together and share their practices. Since their approach is relevant in the current development of contemporary culture, we looked at the benefits as well as the pitfalls of its uses when related to art institutions.

The programme of Intentions in Action in July and August was centred on the idea of re-use as a way to create, with the participation of Michael Rakowitz and Basurama. In September and October Jonas Staal, Kathrin Böhm and Andreas Siagian are taking part in Intentions in Action to explore political and trading infrastructure and societal organisations.

The programme will start with the screening of Joan Grossman's Drop City. The documentary tells the story of whimsical innovation, the drive to create a new civilisation on the scrapheap of a wasteful society and how an artists' community became an icon for a global counterculture.

The discussion on societal organisations and artists will be followed by a Jonas Staal's talk. Staal's artistic research, work and activity investigate and challenge existing socio-political infrastructure. He will present the artistic and political organisation New World Summit, which he founded in 2012 and the subsequent artistic campaign New Unions which started in 2016. The artist has initiated these projects as a response to Europe's political, economic and humanitarian crises.

Kathrin Böhm, founding member of Myvillages and Public Works, will bring up considerations between artists' activity, economies and communities. She will explain how the art project she helped to set up - Company: Movements, Deals and Drinks - has been taking the shape of a community enterprise, where art and business could meet and merge.

As part of the programme, Andreas Siagian will share his experience as an interdisciplinary artist and DIY maker in Indonesia. Andreas is member of Lifepatch, a citizens' initiative that works with art, science and technology to nurture active citizenship and takes various forms responding to the community's needs and vision.

In November and December the programme will explore politics of food, hospitality and rural life. It will be followed by the exhibition Forms of Action in January 2017. The exhibition will bring together existing works and projects, and commission new ones with artists who have made their actions in society the core of their practice.

In this significant moment of shift from conventional understanding of the role of art in society into a progressive application of the relationship between art and society, Intentions in Actions aims to present a broad and diverse series of approaches that deals with 'how' art can transform reality rather than 'what' art can deliver to specific audiences.

All events are free, please check online and book a place to guarantee entry.