ART AND AUTONOMY?

28 & 29 FEBRUARY 2008 CIVIC CENTRE, BALLYMUN, DUBLIN 9 SPEAKERS Prof Tony Bennett, JJ Charlesworth, Daniel Jewesbury, Lu Jie, Maria Lind, Amanda McDonald Crowley, Ailbhe Murphy, Tone Olaf Nielsen, Tim Stott and Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto Chair: Dr Mick Wilson The question of 'Art in the Life World' is a matter of interrogating the perceived tension between, on the one hand, the “autonomy” of practice within established artworld systems - independent spaces, galleries, art journals, fairs, public museums, private collections - and, on the other hand, the “instrumentalisation” of practice through policy imperatives operative within the public funding and commissioning of the arts - e.g., agendas rooted in regeneration, creative cities marketing, cultural tourism, and urban area identity construction and re-branding. 'Art in the Life World' seeks to problematise this crude opposition by inviting speakers to examine these issues from a number of different perspectives. The conference questions the agency of artists, curators, audiences, commissioners and other players within the changing contexts and dynamics of contemporary market, policy, funding, and discursive frameworks. The conference seeks to map the diversity of competing strategies and the kinds of critical contest at work in contemporary practice. This conference is an opportunity for practitioners, commissioners, policy-makers, curators, educators, funders, critics, and gallerists from across the spectrum of contemporary arts to discuss these issues in an international context. CONFERENCE: 28 & 29 FEBRUARY Venue: Civic Centre, Main Street, Ballymun, Dublin 9. Day One: Registration, 9am sharp 10 am - 5.30pm Day Two: 10 am - 4.00pm Lunch and tea/coffee will be provided. Places are limited, booking essential.