Participatory art and geography: Politics, publics, and space

Abstract

This paper posits participatory art as a distinct but underexplored practice of interest for human geography’s contemporary work on art and aesthetics. It suggests that participatory art needs a conceptual, critical, and interdisciplinary grounding in human geography to advance the expanding relationship between participatory art practice and theory, aesthetics, and geography. Through three analytical themes – politics, publics, and space – the paper argues for an interdisciplinary approach to participatory art that draws across art theory, participatory praxis, and geography. The paper concludes around geography’s suitability to critically explore the ethical and aesthetic relations created by participatory art.