Seminar

How do we sustain politically engaged, community-focused art practices in times of ecological crises, the pandemic, a seemingly global playing field, and the persistence of colonial legacies? Foundations and NGOs play an important role in this ecosystem through their financial support but also through metrics of success that unleash such support. In this VLC Seminar, we look for more holistic approaches to program evaluation that respond to urgent demands for more equitable organizations and offer protocols and tools to support them. 

The writers, artists, and curators of VLC Seminar 11 have all contributed to Forces of Art: Perspectives from a Changing World, a new critical anthology edited by VLC director Carin Kuoni that showcases broadly diverse evaluation practices today. Their conversation is anchored by The Case for a Panorama, a 360° VR tour presented by Mbali Dhlamini and Phumulani Ntuli, members of the Johannesburg-based artist collective Preempt Group, who are introduced by curator Kabelo Malatsie (Johannesburg/Bern). In conversation with artist and cultural producer Rocca Holly-Nambi (Nairobi), Carin Kuoni and Kabelo Malatsie expand further on artist-driven protocols of evaluation and reflection. 

When Visual Arts Network of South Africa (VANSA) was invited to evaluate a project in Peru for Forces of Art, they invited Preempt Group to run a workshop as a way of changing the direction of evaluation. In this new moment of evaluation, Preempt Group presents a workshop, looking at the technological present. The ten-minute presentation takes the participants through the principles of the panoramic image as if we are presenting a criminal case, borrowing the forensic approach of presenting evidence within a court of law. The presentation takes this stance to argue within and against panoramic images and various arguments around coding and decoding.

We are also pleased to announce that D.A.P. is now offering a 30% discount on Forces of Art on their website through April 15 with the discount code forcesofart30.

This seminar is supported by the Helen Shapiro Lectureship fund.