Suchergebnisse

This thesis focuses on how international art collectives can function as a connective tissue for students to engage in international exchange, collaboration and art-making. I have analyzed the sustainability, structural operation and political implications of such exchanges at the university level and in the professional art world. Examining different programs such as the International Art Collaboration Network (INTAC), InSite, and Border Art Workshop/Taller de Arte Fronterizo as comparative case studies, I address the following questions in my research: What models exist in North America for individuals who wish to implement transnational art collaborations in their art practice or as a pedagogical strategy? As artists, educators and arts administrators, how can we adopt theses existing collaborative ideas and methods as a response to globalization and further the goals of cultural integration? INTAC served as the main focus of my investigation. INTAC is a network that has been connecting students around the world to work collaboratively on lens-based art projects for the past ten years. My data collection was based on surveys and interviews with students, professors, and INTAC alumni. As part of my fieldwork, I followed and documented the work produced by four Chicago-based artists who participated in the 2018-2019 INTAC collaboration. I gathered artwork, interviews and exhibition documentation. I also looked at other historical collaborations between the US and Mexico and interviewed artists from various collectives who have worked in collaboration. These programs are critical to local and international communities because they provide an accessible entry point into complicated conversations through artwork. Such models can be replicated at the university level and in the artistic community. Through research I found that the challenges in collaborations are outweighed by the many benefits of a transnational exchange. When ideas are exchanged and conversations are held between artists and cultural producers, we can begin to challenge and destroy current hateful rhetoric that is dividing us. At their best collaborations connect us as equals, creating a space where all members are significant contributors through a democratic and egalitarian model of collaboration. Online communication generates the spaces in which these kinds of collaborations can be planned and accomplished. Through artistic collaboration and dialogue, participants from different countries share their art, and think critically about the world, border politics, international relations and citizenship. We have a responsibility to look for answers to the ever increasing demand for human and cultural integration in a global world plagued by the challenges posed by borders and geopolitical barriers.