Participatory Art
Participatory art, also termed collaborative or interactive art, is a type of art form that incorporates audience engagement on various levels, from conception to experience. This form of art shifts the focus from the artist and viewer to creators and audiences, fostering collaborative creativity and co-ownership of the art piece. Although participatory art sprang in mid-twentieth century, it became popular during the 1960s and 1970s when artists began striving to abandon the inertia of the audience and draw them into more vivid forms of participation. Important steps in the development of participatory art covers the Fluxus movement, known for its audience participation in happenings and performances, as well as the rise of relational aesthetics in the 1990s, introduced by Rirkrit Tiravanija and Carsten Höller. These movements fundamentally undermined the concept of the finished artwork as an isolated object, concentrating on the relationships and processes as the basic form of art. Some noteworthy names related to the domain of participatory art include Yoko Ono, renowned for her accessible interactive installations, along with performances where audience members are invited to respond to her work both physically and emotionally. In the same manner, Abramović Marina and Olafur Eliasson have also worked on themes of participation and shared experience, making it possible for the audience to engage in the work rather than just spectate. From this analysis, we see that range of participatory art enables the audience engagement in collaborative creation which develops a sense of community, dialogue, and co-created environment within the work of art. By dismantling the typical control structures and allowing the viewing public to interact with the artwork directly, participatory art, in contrast, affirms the existence of authorship and ownership of an artwork making the experience of art more open and hands-on.
made for you
Join the movement
To make people not just see art, live it and buy it
Artist
Are you an artist looking to share your story with the world?
Followers
Are you courageous enough to live with art?
Institutions
Are you a gallery or institution seeking to optimise your operations?

Subjektiv.art
Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter to explore artist stories, stay updated on events, and discover exciting new artworks in our community.