Narratives of home or failure: the impact of artists and site-specific artworks in communities

Abstract

Using definitions of gentrification and examples of place-based artworks and practice, in this article I suggest that in their role in the processes of ‘regeneration’ artists sit on conflicting sides of a debate about who has the right to live in a particular place and the impact of differing powers of mobility. Connecting with Katie Beswick’s position that estate-based artworks may tread a fine line between engagement and ‘art-washing’, I explore how artists could approach work with communities by connecting the aspirational nature of art to residents’ own lives rather than imposing work and practices that do not fully consider the context of an area. Using examples of site-specific and site-responsive artwork on the Heygate Estate and the Alton Estate, both in London, and my own practice exploring place-making and the dual narratives of ‘failure’ and ‘home’, I examine how artists can risk taking narratives of home out of the hands of residents. I argue for the creation of embedded community practices which enable residents to develop a sense of ownership and control, and which highlight the lives and priorities of existing populations of areas threatened by gentrification and displacement.