Workshop | Kunst & Activisme: Breitner Studenten
Two young art students from the Breitner Academy share their experiences of artistic activism from their own perspectives. Drawing on the visual art they created as part of the ‘Dealing with the Real Stuff’ minor (Breitner Academy, Amsterdam University of the Arts), they explore how they, as artists, relate to social and climate-related issues.
Although both students feel a sense of commitment, they take different paths in this regard. One deliberately seeks confrontation and uses art to highlight urgent issues and make them open to discussion. The other, by contrast, opts for a gentler, more poetic approach, which leaves room for imagination, doubt and questioning. The art students do not always agree on how outspoken art should be or what responsibilities an artist has.
Following the personal stories and examples, we will engage in a discussion with the audience on this topic. Why do we choose to speak out or to remain silent in our work? When does art become activist? Should an artist take a stand? And how can different forms of engagement contribute to change?
Together, we explore what forms of engagement are possible and what different approaches to activism might entail. Building on this discussion, participants apply the questions and insights to their own practice: how can they create space in their own workplace for engagement with climate issues?
In this way, the workshop becomes not only a discussion about artistic activism, but also an invitation to examine one’s own position, explore new forms of engagement and reflect on how art and imagination can contribute to a different relationship with the climate.
