What is the role of democracy in social practice - can all voices be heard?

Many contemporary radical thinkers argue that underrepresented groups hold the power to make significant structural change. As democracies negotiate the balance between majority rule and minority rights, how do socially engaged artists navigate the tension between democracy and inclusivity? How should decisions be made during the process of collaboration between artists and communities? How can all voices be heard, represented, and included?

What is the role of democracy in social practice - can all voices be heard? is moderated by Ulrika Flink, Artistic Director for Konsthall C. Speakers include Magda Fabianczyk, artist, educator, and the co-founder of Polish Migrants Organise for Change (POMOC), and Adam James, artist.

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.

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.

About Ulrika Flink

Ulrika Flink (she/her) has curated exhibitions throughout Sweden and abroad in recent years. Flink is currently working in Stockholm, as Artistic Director for Konsthall C, a leading force in a socially engaged art scene where innovation and curatorial and artistic experiments take center stage. Fink has also worked as Artistic Director for the arts advocacy organization Konstfrämjandet Stockholm. She serves as curator-at-large for Black Archives Sweden and SETTINGS. Internationally, she has curated prestigious exhibitions such as Momentum 9 Nordic Biennial of Contemporary Art in Norway 2017 and in Sweden Borås Art Biennial - Deep listening for longing, 2021. Flink has long experience of working with art locally, nationally, and internationally, including institutions such as Tensta Konsthall, Autograph ABP (London) and Bonniers Konsthall. She has a master’s degree in Curating Contemporary Art from the Royal College of Art in London.

About Adam James

Adam James (b. 1978) is a British artist. At the heart of his practice is a desire to bring people together in order to understand the self and to open up new ways of being and interacting. He uses non-verbal play to encourage forms of dialogue, mediation and the reconsideration of sameness and difference. James makes sculptural objects, drawings, photographs, videos and texts that all arise from his steadfast involvement in the performative practice of live action role play (larp). James’ focus is on the experimental style of Nordic larp. This is a particular tradition of larp that is understood as a progressive and creative form of interactive role-play and mode for storytelling. At its basic formation, the participants assume roles and characters within a set fiction—to enact an incredibly diverse range of ideas and subjects—with the goal of creating thematic coherence, immersion and collaboration. Within his practice, James positions the larp as a tool to trigger, on a micro level, future possibilities, new forms of collaborative democracy and the temporary dismantling of hierarchies.

About Magda Fabianczyk

Magda Fabianczyk is an internationally recognised multidisciplinary artist, activist and educator, and the co-founder of Polish Migrants Organise for Change (POMOC). Her work focuses on art and politics, combining narrative mediation, co-creation and place-making to open up spaces for direct communication between those who could not otherwise meet. She taught Fine Art and Experience Design at UAL Central Saint Martins, and is a founding member of Dziewuchy London, a UK Polish women’s rights group. Magda has worked with institutions such as Southbank Centre, Kochi-Muziris Biennale and on commissions for Camden Alive and Islington Council among others. She was awarded an Arts Council/Gasworks residency in Mauritius and Triangle Arts Trust residency at VASL in Pakistan. Through POMOC Magda has co-developed projects funded by Unbound Philanthropy, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the GLA, Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, and Guerrilla Foundation among others. She has also worked as a Community Expert for UAL Central Saint Martins. More information can be found on www.wehybrids.org.