Craftivism :: December 12, 2009 - February 14, 2010 :: Arnolfi, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol, UK.

With Kayle Brandon + Heath Bunting, Rhiannon Chaloner + Manuel Vason, glorious ninth, GOTO10, Rui Guerra, Household, Christine + Irene Hohenbüchler, JODI, Mandy McIntosh, Gloria Ojulari Sule, Trevor Pitt + Kate Pemberton, Janek Simon, Stephanie Syjuco, Clare Thornton and projects produced with local residents.

Craftivism responds to the resurgent interest in craft as it relates to socially-engaged art practice. It involves fourteen projects developed by artists and collectives that work with craft-based traditions and activist practices, and who employ the tactics of ‘craftivism’ (combining crafting + activism) to question and disrupt the prevailing codes of mass consumerism.

The project attempts to collapse the distinction between ‘making’ and ‘doing’ - the former associated with craft, the latter with human action. It places an emphasis on interaction and participation in the wider social realm, and employs aspects of self-organisation and ‘open-source’ principles. The artists involved engage with craft-based traditions through diverse practices including art, technology and fashion. Selected works exemplify ‘innovation’ in the general sense that newly invented forms might diverge from established rules and perceived norms.

Craftivism has been developed in relation to a range of contexts and includes nine artist-led participatory projects produced with participants and local communities. The outcomes of these are shown as part of the gallery-based interactive exhibition, online and in free software-related projects, workshops, talks and the uncurated satellite event unCraftivism. Events also take place at Brandon Hill Park, Colston Hall, Full Circle – St Paul’s Youth and Family Centre, Knowle West Media Centre and The Mall Bristol.

The project invites public interaction and provides opportunities to take part, make work and learn craft-based skills to customise products. It encourages wider communities to embrace the ‘freedom’ to create, modify and distribute products, and in so doing demonstrates the possibilities for people to modify their own lives.

Craftivism is an Arnolfini / Relational project curated by Zoë Shearman (Director, Relational), Geoff Cox (Associate Curator of Online Projects, Arnolfini) and Ann Coxon (Assistant Curator, Tate Modern).