The power of community
It’s no secret that we’re better off when we’re together. People need people for connection, relationships, and ideas – all of which inspire creativity. As Haus-a-rest run their summer exhibition issue as a nod to the famous Royal Academy summer exhibition, this piece is a celebration and nod of the power that comes from working with and alongside others, the special atmosphere created by a collective of artists coming together.
In my eyes, it would be a crime to talk about collective groups of artists without mentioning the Young British Artists, of whom I’m a big fan. The term Young British Artists refers to a group of London based art students who started to make new, thought provoking and controversial works in the 1980s and refused to not be seen. They famously put on shows anywhere and everywhere they could and their work, although striking on its own, was much more powerful together – creating a theatre of shock and awe all at once. The group was very much led by Damien Hirst who would book the venues and talk the talk to get the group in front of the most important audiences. Other artists in the group included today’s mega famous in the art world who it can be easy to forget were never famous: Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Michael Landy among others. Their reputation gained them popularity, notoriety and ultimately fame. Perhaps the most prominent example in modern history of how a collective of artists can directly intercept mainstream culture and make a mark when working together.
A more contemporary collective that exists to explore ideas, technology and creativity all in one together is teamlab. This collective of individuals, first formed in 2001 in Tokyo is a bit more diverse – not all are artists, some are also programmers, engineers, mathematicians, architects and animators. The group have coined the term for themselves – “ultra technologists”. The collective is all about creative thinking and innovative practice, creating artworks that challenge traditional art spaces and definitions, using technology. Their exhibitions often consist of immersive environments where viewers can walk over live projections or an area is completely changed by the addition of sculptural forms. In ‘Living Crystallized Light’ (2022) viewers walk over a beautiful kaleidoscopic rainbow scene which is reminiscent of water at touch. Similarly, in ‘Resonating Microcosms in the Common Camellia Garden - Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset’ (2022) a garden is completely filled with sculptural forms that transform from day to night.
As both of the above collectives show, power in creativity often comes from bouncing off others and fusing together to create even more fantastical shows. Whether this is by exhibiting in a group show next to someone who is drastically different in style, to joining a group of others in working towards the same thing, there is power in community, especially in art. Something we should all celebrate, especially in times of opportunity to exhibit with others.