How might artistic practices enable radical imagination and politics?

Van 3-5 juli nodigen de Urban Futures Studio en Community Portal van BAK 30 kunstenaar-onderzoeker-practitioners uit om deze vraag te verkennen. Drie momenten van het evenement zijn open voor het publiek en gratis te bezoeken.

It feels harder than ever to imagine a future that is both collectively desirable and achievable. Mainstream politics have often deepened this crisis of imagination by furthering marginalization, polarization, and apathy. Now trapped between a populist pull towards imagined ‘utopian’ pasts and a technocratic push towards imagined ‘utopian’ futures, the time is ripe to revitalize our utopian imagination and politics.

The Utopia*Art*Politics Sessions explore the potential of utopia as a creative and plural method for justice. Artistic practices—storytelling, visioning, theatre, music, and more—play a powerful role in activating our imagination of possible futures and reinterpretation of past and present moments. Such practices can make visible what has been silenced, disrupt our ‘common sense,’ traverse conflicting imaginaries, offer glimpses of a world otherwise, and compel people towards action. This event brings together 30 artist-researcher-practitioners actively experimenting with how artistic practices can help reimagine and remake our world.

Dialogue sessions occur in a closed space with invited guests. However, three parts of the event—keynotes by Lola Olufemi and Stephen Duncombe, and a performance evening—are open for public registration. An output is released following the event to share generated insights.