Socially engaged art

What is socially engaged art?

Socially engaged art is work whose material is working with people, with a community and with a social theme. The artist here works not with canvas but with relationships, situations and whatever takes place between people. It is sometimes therefore called social architecture — art that seems to build invisible bridges between people.

How does it appear?

It appears through actions, projects and encounters into which the artist draws particular people or an entire community. The result need not be an object for a gallery but a shared experience, a changed relationship or a new view of a common theme. And isn't that one of the most powerful things art can do?

Who are its main figures?

In the Czech context the best-known name is Kateřina Šedá, whose work is often discussed in terms of social architecture. Her projects bring the inhabitants of villages and neighbourhoods together in shared actions that change how people get along.

How does it do on the market?

The market increasingly values this dimension of art, even though it is work that cannot simply be hung on a wall. Collectors and institutions are gradually coming to understand that a work whose essence is process and working with people has value too. It is therefore traded more through documentation, concept and the involvement of institutions than by the classic sale of a finished object.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club