In the work of DOEprojekts, we invite both art-knowledgeable and art-curious groups and individuals to interact (take action, create movement), engaging situational artifacts and experiences related to cultural Coreforms and Keywords.
We have named five initial Coreforms in our art and cultural practice:
zero, one, hyphen, swash, period. (circle, vertical line, horizontal line, swash, point).
The zero (circle) moves in space. Depending on our perspective, the circle may be seen as the other four forms.
Movement(s) is one of many Keywords that have been cited by social scientists as being “significant but difficult.” As Cindy Patton writes in New Keywords: A Revised Vocabulary of Culture and Society (ed. by Bennett, Grossberg, Morris):
“The idea of movements implies relocation from one place to another. The new social movements generally argued either that their kind of person had been ignored or “marginalized” and needed to be brought into the ‘center’ or ‘made’ visible, as if on a stage; or they argued that their kind of person had been forced to accommodate to an alien and hostile culture, that is, they had been forced into a “mainstream” at the cost of their true, but devalued historical or cultural traits.”
A significant investigation for DOEprojekts is, can the “us” and “them” mentality be mitigated through art/cultural/socio-political movement(s)? Can these binaries be negated or minimized for the common good in social acts of culture and art? Might the zero (possibly the “marginalized” mentioned by Patton), through movement, be seen as the one (a “center,” something visible, a common good)?
We view the zero and the one as potentially the same form, seen from different perspectives. Through our experiences and artifacts we are moved, and often find that others are moved as well, heading toward a common good, a shared understanding, an energized exchange of ideas and emotions.
About DOEprojekts
DOEprojekts is a socially-engaged artist collaborative practice led by Deborah Adams Doering (MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago) and Glenn N. Doering (MS, Loyola University). DOEprojekts invites art-knowledgeable and art-curious groups and individuals to interact with site-responsive artifacts and experiences related to cultural Coreforms and Keywords.
More information is found at DOEprojekts.com and DeborahDoering.com.