The artist can’t escape: The artist as (reluctant) public pedagogue

Abstract

This article addresses the question of how artists may recognise art as a public pedagogy whilst staying detached from the role of teacher in the traditional sense. We report on three art practices of citizens engaging in 'situation art' to support and illustrate a few theoretical concepts derived from Biesta's theory of public pedagogy. The examples will be investigated as pedagogies 'that enact a concern for publicness', where Biesta argues for pedagogic interventions that make action possible in an arena of plurality and diversity. Inspired by Biesta we will develop the concept of 'artistic citizenship', a practising of citizenship in community settings that engages in playful and unknowable-in-advance artistic interventions in everyday life, thereby testing the quality of the public sphere and setting conditions for pedagogies that have the potential to be 'politically significant'.

Listening All Around: What Could the Fluid Conceptualization of Artistic Citizenships Do?

“…These potentials are not just hypothetical, but already being realized in multiple contexts. Texts such as Bradley (2018) and Caris and Cowell (2016) exemplify how connections facilitated by artistic citizenship promote criticality and enrich scholarship in the arts. They showcase how the field of "citizenship" can inspire important discussions, critiques, and insights in a way that promotes reflection, foregrounds caring for participants and practitioners, and brings critical perspectives for artistic practice and education.…”

Race, Space, and the Built Pedagogical Environment

“…They credit Biesta for conceptualizing public pedagogy as a pedagogy for the public sphere; in doing so, they advance an understanding of public art as ways artists engage in placemaking by "intervening in localized struggles for more freedom, more equality, or better citizenship rights" (p. 679). Other scholars (Caris & Cowell, 2016) similarly draw on Biesta's ideas to examine the role of the public artist as "reluctant public pedagogue." Adopting this understanding of public pedagogy, the authors advance a view of art as a "mode of human togetherness that interrupts the rational order, creating a community in which freedom might appear and people might speak with their own voice..." (p. 472).…”

Culture and conflict: Kabuli art as public pedagogy

“…They present three examples of art practice in which the artist and spectator are co-creators. With a focus specifically on situation art which is generated within particular locations and its facilitation in creating public spaces, Caris and Cowell (2016) approach the artists' context as "a central influencing factor" (p. 479). The intervention between audience and artist at the moment of encounter allows "certain practices of citizenship to emerge" (p. 469).…”