Art within Activism

This is not an art piece as such but as I do consider some of my social engagements to be a crucial part also of my artistic practice it is represented here. 2013 I went to Yerevan Armenia for a one year residency at Art and Cultural Studies laboratory. I started volunteering for Women’s Resource Centre Armenia and what started out as classes and workshops with the aim of giving activists access to different artistic tools and techniques soon transformed into an independent group of activists believing artistic approaches and creativity are important ingredients in feminism, activism and social movements. With a desire to elaborate further on creative activism or activist art ArtAct was formed. ArtAct works and functions in variety of ways and act both as an independent group and in collaboration with other activists, artists, initiatives and/or NGO’s. Since the start the group have been creating proactive and reactive posters responding to current situation and events taking place in society as well as staging performances, interventions and other disruptions in public space. As a group we have also been developing and inviting participants outside of the group to join creative workshops spreading access to different tools and techniques. The workshops and other participatory initiatives have gathered a large and varied group of participants - artists and non artists, those who call themselves activists and those who do not. During 2017 members of the group have been busy starting and registering an official NGO in order to open up for further possibilities which requires a formalized identity. For a more indepht presentation and information material visit: https://issuu.com/artact/docs/artact