Join us for our last event as part of Constellations ° Assemblies, a series of free online events curated and delivered by UP Projects in partnership with Flat Time House and Liverpool Biennial. The events are open to all artists, curators and practitioners active and/or interested in the expanded field of public art.
Who are we working for? asks what it means to authentically respond to the needs of communities while also navigating the shifting hierarchies that are inherent to all socially engaged art projects. How do we build upon failure and vulnerabilities? And how do we make space for indigenous knowledge? This event addresses a set of questions devised collectively by the Constellations ° Cohort 2022 and is informed by the in-depth analysis, critical thinking, and creative experimentation undertaken over the course of the Constellations 2022 programme.
Who are we working for? is moderated by Sara Reisman, Chief Curator/Director of National Academician Affairs at National Academy of Design. Speakers include Farid Rakun, member of the contemporary art organisation ruangrupa, and founder of The Brixton Project, Binki Taylor.
This year’s Constellations ° Cohort are Amina Lawal Agoro, Benedict Rutherford, Jordan Rowe, Kate Mahony, Laura Eldret, Manon Awst, Monica Tolia, Nisha Duggal, Rebecca Moss and Taey Iohe. You can read more about their individual practice here. The seminars attended by the cohort during the programme were peer led by individuals within the cohort, facilitated by Harun Morrison with invaluable support from Jack Newbury.
All Constellations ° Assemblies will take place in The Hall, UP Projects’ digital participation space.
The Constellations ° Assemblies series is one of two strands of activities as part of Constellations, a free learning and development programme for artists, curators, producers, and practitioners active and/or interested in the expanded field of public art. The other strand, the Constellations ° Cohort, supports a group of ten practitioners to develop their practice, collaborate with others, access new networks, and contribute to critical debate surrounding the future of public practice.
Register now to book directly via Eventbrite.
Constellations is generously supported by Art Fund, Arts Council England, The Barrington Hibbert Associates Access Fund, and the Constellations Patrons and UP Supporters. To find out more please visit our Support Us page. Constellations is curated and delivered by UP Projects, working in partnership with Flat Time House and Liverpool Biennial.
Accessibility
Live captioning and British Sign Language interpretation will be available at this event. Should you require access to British Sign Language interpretation, please email info@upprojects.com in advance of the event so we can provide you with dedicated access links to the event.
Donations
All donations raised through individual giving go directly towards our free nine-month learning and development programme, Constellations for artists, curators, producers, and practitioners active and/or interested in the expanded field of public art. You can donate via our support us page or directly via Eventbrite upon booking a ticket. UP Projects believes in keeping events accessible to everyone and commits to turning nobody away for lack of funds. If you are unable to donate please select a free ticket and join us on the day! We recognise how injustice and personal circumstances impact people’s income and their ability to donate. We believe that there is enough for everyone when it is shared and therefore ask our attendees to give when you can, if you can!
About Sara Reisman
Sara Reisman is Chief Curator and Director of National Academician Affairs at the National Academy of Design in New York City. A curator, educator, and writer, Reisman was most recently the Executive and Artistic Director of the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation (2014-2021), and prior to that held roles as Director of the Percent for Art program at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (2008-2014), Associate Dean of the School of Art at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (2008-2009), and Curatorial Consultant for Public Art at the Queens Museum (2009). Reisman has curated exhibitions locally and internationally for venues including the National Arts Club in New York City, Hugh Lane Dublin City Gallery, Futura Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague, the Queens Museum of Art, Socrates Sculpture Park, the Cooper Union School of Art, the Philadelphia Institute of Contemporary Art, Momenta Art, and Smack Mellon, among other venues. She has been awarded residencies by Art Omi, the Foundation for a Civil Society, Artis, CEC Artslink, Futura, and the Montello Foundation. Reisman has also taught art history and contemporary art at the University of Pennsylvania, SUNY Purchase School of Art + Design, and, since 2016, at the School of Visual Arts Curatorial Practice Master’s Program. She received her BA from the University of Chicago, participated in the Whitney Museum of American Art's Independent Study Program as a 2002-2003 Helena Rubinstein Fellow, and subsequently served as the Whitney Lauder Curatorial Fellow at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia (2004-2005), and the Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo Curatorial Fellow at the New Museum (2005-2006).
About ruangrupa
ruangrupa is a contemporary art organization founded in 2000 by a group of artists in Jakarta. As a non-profit organization, ruangrupa is active in promoting the advancement of art ideas in an urban context and a broad scope of culture through exhibitions, festivals, art laboratories, workshops, research, as well as the publication of books, magazines and online journals. In its development, ruangrupa has evolved into a contemporary art collective and a study ecosystem with two organizations (which have been working with ruangrupa for a long time) providing a public learning space that carries the values of equality, sharing, solidarity, friendship, and togetherness.
Along with its journey as a non-profit organization, ruangrupa consistently encourages the advancement of art ideas in an urban context and a broad scope of culture through exhibitions, festivals, art laboratories, workshops, research, as well as the publication of books, magazines, and online journals. During its nearly two decades of journey, ruangrupa has undergone several ups and downs of programs and organizational restructuring. From the very beginning, the work of this organization was designed so freely that everyone could continue to work individually. ruangrupa is accustomed to working and creating by involving a myriad of individuals with different backgrounds. Each individual is like a key to a treasure trove of historical and cultural facts. This can also be seen from the house that was used as a place for ruangrupa's activities in the early period. Located on the southern outskirts of the city, ruangrupa looks more like a gathering place: always open, always inhabited – there are studios, libraries, research laboratories, and party venues all in one location.
About Binki Taylor
Binki Taylor is an experienced coach-mentor, creative producer and community activator. Commissioner for the Mayor of London’s Diversity in the Public Realm, curator for the London Festival of Architecture 2023 and partner of The Brixton Project, formerly The Brixton Design Trail, she advocates for fusing the skills, knowledge, culture and heritage of local people into future community development.