How do artists, musicians and filmmakers increase freedom of expression, collective imagination, community wellbeing, and global solidarity? How can art counter authoritarian narratives and shrinking civic space? How do the forces of art materialize in our different, yet deeply interconnected societies?
The answers to these questions can be found in a new book about the impact of art on civil society and social change published by Valiz. After over two years of work by 15 independent teams of researchers, we are proud to launch Forces of Art, a unique investigation into the values that art and culture have for our society.
Our joint initiative with the Prince Claus Fund and the European Cultural Foundation challenges assumptions and stimulates new ideas about how crucial art and culture are. Using various methodologies, the studies reveal the importance of independent collective initiatives, of reaching diverse audiences, and of creating spaces where we can experiment, discover, share ideas, speak openly, and let our imagine roam.
Forces of Art examines a total of 38 cultural initiatives, from the role of cultural spaces and art events in Dakar, to digital program initiatives in Southeast Asia, to the experiences of Syrian diaspora artists in Istanbul and beyond.
The book devotes a chapter to the study of each research team, introduced by an essay by renowned curators, artists, and thinkers. It also includes essays and case studies from the Hivos network over the last 10 years.
Attend the book launch event!
Influential artists, researchers, and thinkers will come together to launch of Forces of Art on Thursday, 26 November 2020 – and you are invited.
15:00 – 17:00 CET | 14:00 – 16:00 GMT | 9:00 – 11:30 EST | 21:00 – 23:00 WIB
You can follow the event on this page, on Facebook, or join us on Zoom.
The program features a keynote by artist Heba Y. Amin; the performance ‘The Accelerator of the Imagination’ by artist Pierre-Christophe Gam; a panel discussion among some of the authors of the book; an exchange with editorial team members Jordi Baltà Portolés, Nora N. Khan, and Serubiri Moses, led by Carin Kuoni, the book’s editor-in-chief; and the launch of the book.
Forces of Art
Perspectives from a Changing World
Edited by Carin Kuoni, Jordi Baltà Portolés,
Nora N. Khan, Serubiri Moses
Published by Valiz
