Creative Contention

Purpose: To analyze the existence of critical elements and challenges to the success of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state of Sergipe. Specifically, based on a theoretical framework developed by the authors, we sought to identify and examine the presence of cultural, social and material elements. Methodology/approach: Qualitative research was developed using an incorporated case study and data collection through non-participant observation, document analysis and 15 interviews with the main actors of the ecosystem. Main results: The results demonstrate the applicability of the developed framework and the presence of cultural, social and material elements as critical components to entrepreneurial ecosystems. On the other hand, in the context studied, these elements are underused and little explored by business and government forces in Sergipe. Academic contributions: This research is relevant for developing a theoretical framework for the analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems and for identifying critical elements and challenges to these environments, contributing to the specific literature on the subject. Practical contributions: The results discuss the material, social and cultural elements, with their respective components, that foster the functioning and development of entrepreneurship ecosystems, debating solutions and offering insights and analysis for public managers and business leaders working in these ecosystems.

Remix: Practice, Context, Culture

The use of everyday objects as art materials has evolved into a contemporary phenomenon in Africa, deeply rooted in specific contexts and possessing global relevance. Despite limited scholarly attention, existing discussions tend to revolve around individual artists or particular mediums. Many discourses are associated with either the prevailing universalist perspective that views the trend as Western avant-garde derivation or the reductionist narrative that attributes it merely to local material scarcity. There exists a critical need to investigate historical genealogies and explore the theoretical frameworks essential for comprehending this phenomenon. Through a combination of visual analysis, fieldwork and interviews, this thesis conducts an in-depth examination of the use of found materials in Zimbabwe, exploring its historiography, mechanism, impact, and visual achievements. This thesis situates the investigation in postcolonial Harare, the city that profoundly shaped the evolution of the phenomenon of using found materials. Regarding timeframe, this thesis examines contemporary Zimbabwean artists’ practices, with a special emphasis on the period following the Redefinitions movement in the early 2000s. However, it also explores the pioneering material innovations of Tapfuma Gutsa and Keston Beaton, as well as analyses the importance of the Pachipamwe workshop between the 1980s and 1990s. Among the artists, it highlights those who consistently engage with found materials and delve into their interactions with urban spaces in their practices. With the city as the analytical framework, this thesis draws on debates centring on contemporary African art and theories about materiality and urban studies. Approaching found materials as the materiality of both art and the city, it reveals a convergence of various interrelated artistic practices in Harare. The multidimensional relationships are manifested in the artistic processes, where the collection of materials, the creation of artworks, and collaboration with diverse urban groups, are intricately linked to urban spaces in Harare. By unfolding this process and emphasising the labour of artists, this thesis transcends conventional perceptions of artworks as mere visual objects, revealing the societal and spatial interactions inherent in artistic practices involving found materials. This thesis also explores the visual and semantical interactions between art and the city, centring on a curated array of artworks which is not merely a visual representation or reflection of the city but also provides critical thoughts on and dialogues with the city, as well as (re)imaginations and aspirations of the urban landscape. The relationship between art and the city is further deepened through iii artistic practices, extending beyond the creation of artworks and involving art infrastructure building in Harare. This thesis conceptualises artists’ practices of working with found material as restless imagination, a term drawn from the name of the city, which refers to “no one sleeps” in the Shona language. The restlessness embedded in its naming has characterised the city in various dimensions and across time, with the haunting colonial legacy, ongoing urban crises, ubiquitous movements and the ordinary people’s unwavering efforts for liberation and survival. Artists residing in postcolonial Harare also adopt and cultivate restlessness as a working strategy not only to cope with but also to transgress such conditions. The evolution of found materials has been unfolded through a continuous process of restless imagination and innovative manoeuvres, which are embodied in the continual re-imagination of the convention of art materials, the expressive capacities of specific materials, and a commitment to labour throughout the transformative process. This open-ended though productive process of exploration perpetuates and extends to the re-imagination and reclaiming of urban spaces, transforming them into artistic spaces that foster artistic creation and the reproduction of artists and imaginations. This thesis argues the potential framing and comprehension of Harare city as the site of restless imagination pursued, embodied and materialised by artists through their artwork and engagement with urban spaces. Contemporary Zimbabwean artists have redefined their artistic practices, interacting with the materiality of everyday urban life, urban matters, urban spaces, and urban communities, and, concurrently, the relationship between art and city, art and society. By doing so, they open up space for possibilities to refashion the restless city, negotiate urban citizenship, and recreate themselves as agentive subjects in postcolonial Harare. It could be argued that artists, as urban citizens, akin to other residents grappling with everyday life in the city, also exercise their arts of citizenship through their creative innovations in artistic expression and practices. Therefore, this thesis not only delves into the contextualisation of artistic practices in Harare but also contributes to broader discussions on everyday practices in African cities through the lens of art.

This research aims to describe religious and cultural elements in art learning materials in kindergarten. Art learning in early childhood is often carried out to develop various aspects of intellectual, social and spiritual maturity. This can be supported by the school's background under a religious foundation so that the learning carried out can be adapted to the existence of a religious environment in each school. The two schools use different cultural and religious elements in art learning at school. The writing of this article is the result of observations, interviews and documentation carried out using qualitative research methods with triangulation of data sources. The data analysis carried out obtained the results that the religious elements that appeared in arts learning in the two kindergartens were religious stories, religious singing, prayer activities with tunes, projects through stories in books, dancing with religious songs, playing angklung with spiritual songs, and playing gamelan with religious songs such as prayers. Meanwhile, the cultural elements applied are the introduction of traditional musical instruments, the introduction of traditional dance, the singing of children's songs, the use of traditional games associated with learning, making batik, and the use of traditional clothing in art learning.

Review: Beyond the Pink Tide: Art and Political Undercurrents in the Americas, by Macarena Gómez-Barris

Colonial Legacies: Contemporary Lens-Based Art and the Democratic Republic of Congo by Gabriella Nugent

Currently, given the constant demands of the deaf social movement, much is said about sign language acknowledgement, bilingual education for the deaf, linguistic accessibility in society spaces. But studies of artistic practices in deaf communities are still advancing slowly with research that especially emphasizes theater and literature as cultural elements of this social group. This article is part of an ongoing master’s investigation. The focus of this research is to understand the importance of art for the social movement of the deaf, mainly by disseminating in its production the identity and cultural markers of this social group, especially sign language and visual culture. We will understand this process as artivism, that is, an activism carried out through artistic practices. That way, this article will bring in an introductory way some notes about the visual arts and performing arts of deaf artists. Still during the master’s research, a greater interest in the artistic practices of deaf women emerged, especially analyzing the production of deaf women poets and their role as transforming agents of the social movement of the deaf. In this sense, some of the questions that guided the development of this research were: How do deaf women appropriate the internet space to promote their artistic expressions? Is it possible or desirable for them to separate ‘being a woman’ and ‘being deaf’ in their productions? How are issues such as violence against women portrayed in these poems? How do deaf women poets create possible dialogues between deaf movements and women’s movement? Thus, this research sought not only to outline the social movement of the deaf, showing how artistic expressions are inserted in the demands of this social group, but also to reflect on gender and feminism issues and their relationships with deaf women artists. In addition to the dissertation in progress as a product of this investigation, an ethnographic film was also produced, currently available on YouTube.

While historical experience is opaque and irrecoverable, it may be partially retrieved and confronted through aesthetic re-articulations. This chapter examines this process of memory reclamation in John Akomfrah's The Nine Muses, a film about migration and the legacies of colonialism that makes explicit the connection between memory, ethics, and artistic practice.

Everything Stays the Same while Everything Changes

Public spaces and institutions have often been linked when it comes to art practice in Bangalore. Whether it was the large-scale earthworks or the appropriation of heritage spaces taken on by artists, the spaces occupied by the public and the public art institutions have had a strong impact on the ways art gets produced in the city. There is also an additional element of reclaiming public spaces that is the struggle of most cities today. Since February this year, the artist community of Bangalore has protested against the move made by the government to 'hand over' the Venkatappa Art Gallery to a private entity. This has spurred a lot of conversations about public spaces and public resources in the city, specifically, in relation to art. Art history and the 'teaching of art' have often been celebrated as an achievement of European scholarship. It is true that a number of institutions set up to teach art in India are a colonial legacy, but what emerged post-independence is a culture of rejecting European aesthetics and trying to form a national one if it were. And in our era of postmodern/postcolonial awareness, there is a fluidity in the conduct of the institutions and in the understanding of public spaces that have contributed to the aesthetic of the contemporary artist. In the light of the recent events, this paper will examine the ways in which the art gallery and later the freeform collectives serve as educational spaces for students and subsequently, explore the implications of the lack of such spaces in the practice of art in contemporary times.

This special issue on “Environmental Artistic Practices and Indigeneity: In(ter)ventions, Recycling, Sovereignty" constitutes a body of creative contributions and academic articles addressing numerous forms of artistic practices of the Pacific Islands, Australia, French Guiana, the Caribbean, and Southeast Asia. Inspired by Indigenous artists and writers whose practices and creativity help reimagine sustainable ways to inhabit the world, this introduction and our special issue interrogate contemporary environmental issues and the legacy of colonisation. They examine how Indigenous artists and writers, and artists working with Indigenous artists and communities, have for decades raised awareness about environmental issues, and encouraged people to regain their agency to struggle against environmental degradation and further destruction of Indigenous people’s societies and health. This introduction contextualises the concepts and Indigenous terms used by artists to express their vision of what a respectful relationship with the environment would be. It also offers readings of the beautiful literary and artistic creative contributions included in this issue. Environmental themes such as waste recycling, health issues, pollutants (mercury, POPs), and agricultural technics are discussed here in light of human and non-human life and agency. This issue also features a significant range of calls for action to better protect and restore ecosystems.

The Social Movement Archive

Venus rising, Furies raging: bodies redressed in contemporary visual art

GIVING WAY AT THE INTERSECTION

The traditional village inherits a long history and culture, is an important carrier of harmonious symbiosis between the countryside and the natural environment, and is the essence of rural civilization and the crystallization of culture and art. Traditional villages play a very important role in displaying local culture, protecting outstanding historical buildings and local material resources. In the 21st century, traditional Chinese villages face many difficulties such as the accelerated speed of disappearance, the lack of traditional culture, the weak development of the protection of material and non-material elements. Taking Cangkou Village of Nanjing as an example, the material and cultural elements within the village are evaluated for their value from the two levels of value characteristics and strategic measures. According to the results of the value assessment, all material cultural resources points are classified into four levels,and different targeted protection levels of material and cultural elements is carried out; the inheritance of intangible culture and protection also needs to be strengthened. To achieve the protection of traditional villages, on the basis of government policy guarantees, targeted innovations in protection measures are also needed. In the past, the research on the protection of traditional villages was mainly qualitative. The research in this paper focuses on the combination of quantitative and qualitative, and has certain reference significance for the protection research of traditional villages.