Transformative Affordances of the Arts

The supposed "autonomy" of the arts and its institutions and the notion that art is to be "purposeless" have become highly contested. Many artists now also consider themselves as co-creators of societal processes. But the role that art plays in these processes and the transformative affordances of the arts are often poorly understood and at times actors not directly involved in the arts fuel false expectations with sweeping statements. Examining the role of the arts in the transformation towards sustainability, this research project critically addresses these complementary tendencies of under- and over-determination by exploring the potentials and limits of co-creation with actors from the arts and cultural sectors.

Researchers with the project analyse how cultural practitioners contribute to processes of socio-ecological communication and change, and examine how these contributions complement and compare to those of other actors. This research builds on the assumption that - at least over the short and medium terms - the contributions of artistic and cultural practitioners will primarily be concerned with facilitating a deeper understanding and communication of ecological challenges (sustainability "with" art) and with overcoming societal barriers to action and enabling cooperation (sustainability "through" art). In addition, the researchers also examine aesthetic contributions to long-term cultural change in the form of shifts in values and perceptions (sustainability "in" art). In accordance with the mandate of the research group of the same name, the project tackles its subject through conventional social and cultural science analyses, but above all through the experimental co-design of transdisciplinary processes and methods.