‘Depend on Me’ is a research program, initiated by artist Marieke Zwart, that facilitates artistic collaborations between professional and non-professional artists, funded by AFK. Over the course of 7 months, 10 artists from professional, semi-professional and amateur art-practices will create a new work and research how to collaborate horizontally and interdependently as artists from different contexts and generations. Next to the creation of new art works, our research consists of a trajectory with workshops, talks, feedback sessions and presentations, both public and among the research members. For every workshop we make new relations in the city with other artists groups, professional art institutes and amateur art associations.   

Mask making workshop by Carmen Shabracq at Beeldend Gesproken with the Depend on me participants

Highlighting the value of local collaborators, artistic individuals from the community and other non professional contributors to the professional artistic practise.

If you are interested in the project or you would like to collaborate, please send us an email or a DM on Instagram
‘Depend on Me’ is a research program, initiated by artist Marieke Zwart, that facilitates artistic collaborations between professional and non-professional artists, funded by AFK. Over the course of 7 months, 10 artists from professional, semi-professional and amateur art-practices will create a new work and research how to collaborate horizontally and interdependently as artists from different contexts and generations. Next to the creation of new art works, our research consists of a trajectory with workshops, talks, feedback sessions and presentations, both public and among the research members. For every workshop we make new relations in the city with other artists groups, professional art institutes and amateur art associations.   

Highlighting the value of local collaborators, artistic individuals from the community and other non professional contributors to the professional artistic practise.

Meeting at When Site Lost the Plot with Depend on me participants

Within the art world, there seems to be a strict dividing line drawn between the professional artist and the amateur artist. The professional artist has received a qualified education, ideally supplemented with a work period at a post-academy and annually has several international exhibitions. The amateur artist is more quickly associated with a dusty knitting club and the local carnival group. Interestingly though, social involvement is sought in the contemporary professional art world more and more: community art, social design and ‘artivism’, are very popular, but the value of local collaborators, artistic individuals from the community and other non professional contributors to the professional artistic practise are rarely mentioned as co-authors or artistic collaborators.  Our research program explores how engaged collaborative practices can be built, creating interdependence, co-authorship, inspiring exchanges and a future perspective on collaborative art practices.

Meeting at When Site Lost the Plot with Depend on me participants

Within the art world, there seems to be a strict dividing line drawn between the professional artist and the amateur artist. The professional artist has received a qualified education, ideally supplemented with a work period at a post-academy and annually has several international exhibitions. The amateur artist is more quickly associated with a dusty knitting club and the local carnival group. Interestingly though, social involvement is sought in the contemporary professional art world more and more: community art, social design and ‘artivism’, are very popular, but the value of local collaborators, artistic individuals from the community and other non professional contributors to the professional artistic practise are rarely mentioned as co-authors or artistic collaborators.  Our research program explores how engaged collaborative practices can be built, creating interdependence, co-authorship, inspiring exchanges and a future perspective on collaborative art practices.

The artistic result of the research program and collaboration processes are twofold. On the one hand, the results from the collaborative research program are documented in an online archive and a publication aiming to inspire and serve future collaborations. In addition, a closing presentation will be made at the end of the research period in which our collaborative research will be presented and activated by a series of workshops and a collection of artworks that stem from 1 on 1 collaborations of our group.

Working together on the future website concept

The results from the collaborative research program are documented in an online archive (visit this website in the near future), aiming to inspire and serve future collaborations.

Working together on the future website concept

The artistic result of the research program and collaboration processes are twofold. On the one hand, the results from the collaborative research program are documented in an online archive and a publication aiming to inspire and serve future collaborations. In addition, a closing presentation will be made at the end of the research period in which our collaborative research will be presented and activated by a series of workshops and a collection of artworks that stem from 1 on 1 collaborations of our group.

The results from the collaborative research program are documented in an online archive (visit this website in the near future), aiming to inspire and serve future collaborations.
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