"In Conversation With" is our re-imagining of the artist talk and group discussion format. Rather than the artist talking about their art, the emphasis is on having the artist share how they've overcome very real hurdles in their career.
Central to our talks are the facilitated open discussions after the artist talk. Here, we flatten the hierarchy to allow everyone’s thoughts and opinions to matter. As TASC we then encourage knowledge and experience sharing amongst participants and guide the discussion where needed. This has, time-and-time again, been shown to have a positive benefit for practicing artists and art supporters.
2019 Speaker list :
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Mateusz Łapsa-Malawski
In Conversation With
Artist talks and group discussions, 2019
THE HOLISTIC APPROACH
At TASC, we have been developing a framework for a holistic approach to the artist. This framework begins with the understanding that the artist's professional and personal life are actually deeply inter-connected, and that in order to help one side, we must also help the other.
Starting with this conceptual understanding of the artist means that our approach to knowledge sharing and problem solving is radically different to other organisations.
GUIDED DISCUSSIONS
During the artist talk, a number of issues inevitably come to the forefront of everyones mind. These are mostly answered by the Q&A immediately after the talk. Yet we have found that some larger questions usually linger and so we developed the idea of having our artist talks in two parts. The first part being the talk and Q&A, and then the second part as a round-table discussion following part one. In this second part, a group question or topic begins the open discussion.
These discussion are where every participant is on an equal level, regardless of their background. The goal is to place equal value on everyones perspective. So whilst everyone is invited to share their thoughts, and answer questions raised by others, we ask TASC facilitate the open discussion so that there is a continual momentum to the discussion and to ensure that no voice or perspective dominates the discussion.
As TASC, we are continually refining our own guided interactive process. It is one which encourages all participants to exercise their creative thinking and share their thoughts in a safe space. And much like our holistic approach to the artist, we take a similar approach to the space. Every aspect, from seating, to lighting, to our tone as we guide the discussion impacts how every person feels in the space, which in turn impacts how willing participants are to be open.
EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS MATTER
We believe every working artist has unique knowledge that enables them to continue working. It may feel like this knowledge is unique to them and not of any utility to someone else, however, our goal with these talks is to share our collective experience and knowledge. We know how alternative perspectives greatly benefit the creative individual. Artists are adept at pivoting around problems, especially in their creativity. Artists are also quite resilient and headstrong, as it takes a certain amount of willpower to continue down the unknown path of the artist. Something shared by one artist may be directly beneficial to another artist, or as is often the case it might spark another thought which provides a glimmer to a solution to a previously considered hopeless problem.
We concentrate on, but are not limited to the following three areas: life experience as an artist, studio practice, and business practice. Within our talks, many issues that affect our lives as artists are discussed. And whilst discussions often take the scenic route, we inevitably find the root of these issues in one of these three key areas.
Crucially, it is the range of perspectives that bring the most value to these discussions, and so we often have non-artists, or art-curious individuals involved in our discussions. As TASC we are working to understand how outsider perspectives can provide deeper insights and solutions to the problems faced by artists. Often when we encounter problems as artists we are inside the problem and struggle to see it from any other angle. This is why we truly value creating a space that allows for as many perspectives and thoughts to be shared as possible.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING
Our guest speakers go through a process with us prior to the event. We have a one-to-one with the artist where we encourage them to look not only at their art career and experience, but also look to what they do in their personal life, or as a second job.
We do this because often how an artist conducts themselves is from learned experience; either in a previous job, or through mentorship, or commonly by surviving through mistakes. The value of their own experiences could be easily overlooked by themselves. Therefore, via a one-to-one discussion with us, we have the opportunity to unpick those hidden but valuable experiences that are possibly worth sharing. We believe that even if they share how they were able to move forward by a single step, perhaps another artists could also do the same.
In one of our events, speaker ViNNi KiNiKi, (image below) who works as both a blacklight artist and as a SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) consultant, shared tips on how artists can apply basic SEO knowledge to increase their online visibility.
TASC helped ViNNi realise that he had a unique position that allowed him to translate the cold tech-heavy information into something more artist-friendly. Having a foot in each world (working on SEO and being an artist) enabled him to act as a bridge between both worlds for the benefit of other artists. And being an artist himself, he had already sorted through what information might be of most interest/benefit to artists.
At another event, artist Kashmirwala shared his own personal discovery with photography that led him to see art as a medium to bring people together and to make an impact within the callisthenics community in Morocco.
What initially began as a solo exhibition to showcase work became a deep reflective process whereby Kashmirwala realised a larger purpose for his work. In a short space of time he went from seeing himself as a photographer wanting to show work, to seeing himself as an artist who could use his artwork as a vehicle for social change. His artist talk with us was a reflection of this, and the group discussion after led to real connections being formed and a calisthenics group for women being formed shortly after.
PARTICIPANTS
The feedback from our participants is always incredibly positive, especially in how they value the group discussion after the artist talk and Q&A.
Through this we have learnt the importance of providing a safe and friendly environment for the participants (both for artists and art lovers), so they are able to share their personal experience, knowledge, and perspectives with each other organically, and without judgement.
At TASC we feel it is important that we create a flat hierarchy for the group discussion so that an audience member who is not an artist feels they have just as much to contribute as the artist that just gave the talk. In this way we already allow for the possibility of new perspectives to widen our own thinking, and we do not create an echo-chamber of the same ideas and the same problems.
Importantly it is the two halves that cannot exist without the other. It is the artist talk that brings in the art curious, which then leads to a wider demographic of participants allowing for a more fruitful open discussion.
See more selected event archive images below.
