Fourteenth International Conference on the Arts in Society

Abstract

Participation in art practice is not new but has gained the patina of novelty. There are some problems involved with this misapprehension related to the authenticity of a ‘form’ of art practice that runs parallel to municipal social programs, effectively revising the role, efficacy and ideological praxis of artists. In this paper, I examine a range of claims made for participation in art to assess their impact on art practice and it’s ability to develop as a form. The paper also deals with the generation of a particular understanding of art, taking into account both those artists & works that laid the foundation for social intervention (in particular, Fluxus and Beuys) and counterarguments that have seen a return to the institution as preferable to the messy reality of interfacing with the public.