Eleventh International Conference on The Image

Abstract

With the acceleration of globalization, new immigration patterns, and social media’s blurring of public and private identity, borders and boundaries of all kinds have been complicated and problematized in contemporary society. This study explores artists and art practices that recognize, reveal, and exploit various societal boundaries. Through discussion and collaborative exercises, the session addresses a series of questions regarding the nature of borders as existing functional devices capable of challenging conventional definitions of the viewer. How does the physical experience of crossing a border change modes of viewership? Are there effective strategies for making subtle or hidden boundaries apparent to opposing viewpoints without conflict or misunderstanding? What is the role of public art, architecture, and design in facilitating multiple points of view? Mike Miller and Brian Gillis have worked together as an artistic team since 2006, creating projects ranging from editioned multiples to site-specific installations and actions. Notable exhibitions include “Across the Divide: Reconsidering the Other” at the Illinois State Museum, “Free Radio” at the Cue Art Foundation for the Arts in New York, and “Mapping Harbin” at the Academy of Art and Design, Heilongjiang University in China.