Who is it for? Art and social practice in a time of slow burn crisis

Abstract

The open principles of socially-engaged arts practice frequently come into conflict with ethical considerations despite positive intentions on the part of the artist or commissioning body. When confronted by crises in society, particularly challenges and forms of discrimination that tend to slip under the radar, artists and other stakeholders in the arts and education often engage with dilemmas related to power imbalances, responsibility, political agendas and artistic quality. These dilemmas are discussed through a handful of projects created in Malta as part of the artistic research project ‘Acting on the Margins: Arts as Social Sculpture’ (AMASS), and other arts-based community- and artist-led projects. The article discusses possible methodologies towards fully democratic, horizontal, and sustainable processes, and opens questions around agency and intent in participatory art practice.