“I don’t know the question, but art is definitely the answer.”
Paraphrasing Woody Allen’s famous quote captures how we feel about art here at CRCLR.
Why is art the answer?
Art and culture hold society together and at the same time open a space for reflection. Artists are part of the avant garde, sensing change first and addressing it in a way that touches people. Art also has the potential to make complex phenomena tangible. This is why it can be a true catalyst for social change.
“A total work of art is only possible in the context of the whole of society. Everyone will be a necessary co-creator of a social architecture (…). Whether people are artists, assemblers of machines or nurses, it is a matter of participating in the whole.”
Joseph Beuys
There is a value in exploration without having a concrete goal. Art also opens a door to another way of voicing social issues. We need it because we don’t all respond to lessons and courses.
There is something very special in art, which is the notion that there is no predefined way of knowing what art is. For instance, when talking about finance or circular economy we are working within specific frameworks. In art you simply don’t have that. The lack of norms and structures creates an undefined space which gives us the freedom to be creative beyond rules.
Art has the potential to lift us above the mundane everyday life and help us alter our perception when facing questions like “how can we do this differently?”.
Art inspires, heals, changes perspectives and creates necessary room to play and unleash our most genuine visions for this world, city, neighbourhood or just the present moment.