MFEO Social Practice 2010

8/8/2019 MFEO Social Practice 2010

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Jim Walkerbigcar.org

made4.org

secondstoryindy.orgSunday, December 12, 2010

http://www.secondstoryindy.org/

http://www.secondstoryindy.org/

http://www.made4.org/


http://www.bigcar.org/




collage, social practice art and ethics

Sunday, December 12, 2010



Butletʼs

talk

collagefirst.







with collage, you• can participate, whoever you are

• donʼt have to spend much money

• recycle• put things together that normally donʼt go together

• create something new• collaborate with accident, limitations, & people

• take your time, stop, sit and socialize• look for and notice details• make good work through good decisions & ideas










Iʼll return to collage as a metaphor for socialpractice art (and for life). But first...




letʼs talk about social practice art, what it is (or might be)

and how it fits in our collage of a worldSunday, December 12, 2010



optimistic public art

Social practice art is positive, hopeful and involvesnon-art people as participants in the process. Thiskind of art helps guide people toward creativity and

toward connecting with art and each other.







where social practice art

comes from:

• public art

• Institutional Critique

• community art• interactive art

• relational art

• performance art and happenings

• environmental art• outsider art

• dada and surrealism


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_art







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_Critique

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_Critique

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_art

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_art



Hugo Ball

dada, cabaret voltaireZurich, 1916




Also:

• sociology

• social work

• anthropology

• environmentalism• education

• journalism

• community outreach• community development




Second Story creative writing program




Social practice art is distinct fromacademic art or the high arts movementsin that it doesnʼt require association withformal art theory or training and it breaks

away from the conventions of anyparticular structured aesthetic theory.

The work, when displayed, does oftenhave an outsider or handmade aesthetic.




so

som

Harrell Fletcher “Some People From Around Here”Sunday, December 12, 2010






this art about other

people (besides

artists) — but not

about vague ideasand concepts — is

easier for a public

audience to enjoy.




who are you and what do you wantBig Car, 2008




social practice art is aboutpeople and about the world

around us. It is empatheticart and requires artists to becapable of empathy.




it is crowd-sourced art

This is similar to what we see all of the time withcrowd sourcing entertainment on the Internet

(YouTube, Facebook, etc). People love to

participate. They love to express themselves. Andthey like to see work that is made by people whocome from a similar place and background. Theseare the things that happen with social practice and

more community-oriented public art.





ethical issues



ethical issuesThe public shouldnʼt be used or pandered to.

It is important that the people involved understand whatyou are doing, even if they donʼt see it as art.

You should be clear you are working as an artist. Youshould consult with experts and not overstep your bounds.

You shouldnʼt make big promises that art or your project

will solve social problems.

You canʼt take authorship over other peopleʼs lives, storiesor creations. Ultimately this is public art and belongs to andis made by the public.




When times are bad and money is tight, is it ethical — asan artist and as a creative person — to waste resources, tobe excessive?

Is it ethical to create work that not only doesnʼt help peoplebut isnʼt about them at all?

“I started to feelguilty making art that

was about me.”- Harrell Fletcher,

leading socialpractice artist




some of the Big Car team




Why do this?

Big Car, which has always been influenced bythe philosophies of the Dada and Surrealist artmovements (where collage came from), started

with a focus on collaboration and building acommunity of artists who work in different ways.

So, over the years, weʼve put on art shows,poetry readings, music shows, dance

performances and plays — bringing all kinds ofpeople together through collaboration.




collage party at Big Car 2009Sunday, December 12, 2010



Listen: IMA “On Procession” art parade 2008





As we thought about what to do next, we knew it



was important to connect with people togetherfrom the community at large. Made for Each Other

is bringing joy to a lot of people — and helping ourcommunity grow a new group of art lovers byinvolving them and engaging them in the process.

So our new mission statement and guidingprinciple is this: Big Car sparks new artistic

ideas and initiatives that strengthen communities.




music & dance performance Indianapolis

Museum of Art 100 Acres, fall 2010Sunday, December 12, 2010



Made for Each Other...is a series of eight community art projects takingplace in neighborhoods across Indianapolis during

2009-2010. MFEO is social practice art —

meaning that the projects are social, interactiveand interpersonal in nature. This kind of art isabout projects that involve, engage and help

people and communities grow. Social practice artand MFEO are about people and place versus the

creation of traditional art products.




We call it Made for Each Other

because the projects are just that —made for and by each other in our

community. If it sounds like the title for

a romantic comedy thatʼs just fine.

This series is all about exploring a

real love for our city and our

neighbors — and having fun making

art together while helping the

community in small ways.


MFEO projects



MFEO projects...

... in Indianapolis ask people from eight differentneighborhoods to join us in creating shows andevents within the context of the neighborhoods. Webring neighbors together to help with the planning,

creating and celebration of each project.


public public art



public public art

MFEO moves public art from Downtown and afocus on cultural tourists visiting there tocommunity locations in city neighborhoods acrossthe city. The audience is people who live nearby.The art is no longer just dropped in out of nowhere.

The social nature of these projects connectsmembers of the community with the final product.The work located in each community is about thesecommunities in authentic ways. The work is made

based on ideas and input from neighbors engagedin the communities. And the community is part ofthe creation and celebration of the projects.




the process• start with gathering ideas and talking with people• team up to form a great idea for a project

• work with people to make things happen• bring all together to experience and celebrate it• document everything along the way


MFEO j t f



MFEO projects so far• Thrift Store Music at Central Library

• Pictures of Us and Our Neighborhood in the Southeast

• Playing Andy Goldsworthy at Skiles Test Elementary

• Kountry Kitchen project at The Project School inMartindale-Brightwood

• Community dance performance in West Indy

• We are Here drawings of houses in the Near East

• Test Fest environmental art installation exhibition

• Learning about the world at the grocery store with HarrellFletcher at Saraga Market in Lafayette Square

• Collage Creatures on the Near West Side




thrift store music, spring 2010




southeast photo project, winter 2009







playing Andy Goldsworthy at Skiles Test, spring 2010Sunday, December 12, 2010






MFEO sculpture at Skiles Test Elementary




Kountry Kitchen with The Project School, spring 2010Sunday, December 12, 2010






West Indy stories and performancewith Susurrus, summer and fall 2010










We are Here project on the Near Eastside
















Test Fest, fall 2010Sunday, December 12, 2010















learning about the world at the grocery storeSaraga Market Nov. 13, 2010
















collage creatures project, fall 2010Sunday, December 12, 2010





















what can you do?



y

Start by thinking of big or small concerns.

Then brainstorm creative or artistic ideas that

could help. Consider the ethical implications

of the ideas. Consult experts as needed.

See what people think of the ideas. Include

them in making it happen if they like it.

Document and celebrate.




thanks!

www.bigcar.org

www.made4.orgSunday, December 12, 2010





Documents

MFEO Social Practice 2010