MANIFEST OF SPAZIO NOUR
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Art for the people, by the people
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"Every human being is an artist, a freedom being, called to participate in transforming and reshaping the conditions, thinking and structures that shape and inform our lives." - Joseph Beuys, 1979
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"Everything used to be better," as everyone's grandfather would say. Before the pandemic, art existed freely and joyfully, only to be suddenly constrained for the sake of public health. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, we can use this time to reexamine art and reflect on what truly matters.
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Contemporary art should be intertwined with contemporary society in every way. However, merely being created in the present is not enough to define its value. Art cannot remain simply an object made by people and viewed by people, for at that point, it loses its true essence and potential. The real significance of an artwork goes beyond its material form.
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To move forward, sometimes we must first take a step back: reducing art to its original essence—the human being—so we can open ourselves again to what moves within us.
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This ushers in a movement towards a new, yet old, aesthetics of reality, akin to Joseph Beuys' idea that "everyone is an artist," and everything is art. This manifests in two ways: the individual body and society as the collective body. The individual body is part of the collective, and dialogue is an essential tool to connect both.
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The question "What is art?" has existed as long as art itself. While we may pretend not to know the answer, we do know what it is not: participatory art, art that moves to the people instead of waiting for the people to come to it, is often not seen as art in the traditional sense.
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Yet, this is the true purpose of art: to move, to engage with its audience, without expecting them to cross the significant threshold into the white cube. Behind this idea is often a view of the artist as an outsider, observing society from a distance, critiquing it from an ivory tower. But the essence of art is connection, bringing people together.
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People need each other—to connect, to learn from one another, and to open each other's eyes and worlds. The artist acts as a mediator and educator, helping people explore their limits in their own environment. Art can plant a seed that, even outside of the artwork itself, can continue to grow and develop in the world.
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Participatory art, as a means of community building, lays the foundations for a society where people trust each other, help one another, and radiate positivity and joy.
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The presence of human beings is the central element in site-specific, participatory art. The artist stands at the heart of society, and in doing so, makes art accessible to all. Art can facilitate dialogue, both between people and between art and the public, fostering mutual understanding and engagement.
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Contemporary art exists in the heart of society, among the people, with the artist as one of them. Every art discipline can become participatory and site-specific, actively contributing to the building of the community.
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Art has the power to change the world.