Relationship between Art, Architecture and Society

A special issue of Arts (ISSN 2076-0752).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2023) | Viewed by 4989

Special Issue Editor

School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, University of Leeds, University Rd, Woodhouse, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Interests: socio political informed approaches to arts and architecture; interdisciplinary practices; transcultural approaches to arts; alternative museum models

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

From Vitruvio to Herbert Read and Miwon Kwon, there is an important selection of publications which focus on analyzing the relationship between art and architecture. There is also a significant number of publications which explore the relationship between art and society, or between society and architecture, respectively, although there is a lack of papers which address the three together. What possibilities for new understandings of each of these areas, and of them together as a unique field of study, would an exploration of the triad reveal?

Are there alternative ways to understand the relationship between these fields beyond site-specific public art (Miwon Kwon, 1998), disciplinary tunnel vision (Petter Naess, 2010), or the academic approach (Nick A. Nichols, 2012)? It is in this context that approaching the relationship between art, architecture and society as a triad offers an alternative to the risk of stagnation—resulting from the measurement practices that horizontal analyses can lead to (Yves Gendron, 2008)—opening the field to unexpected, open-ended possibilities for interpretation and development.

In this context, it is relevant to explore the possibilities that applying Henri Lefebvre’s trialectics—as conceptual model—could offer for laying down new sets of relations between these fields, with particular focus on alternative scenarios, such as folklore (Tim B. Rogers, 2002).

This call for submissions welcomes fresh ways of looking at reality and underrecognized vernacular expressions (Bernard Rudofsky1964), which could help us to unveil new ways of understanding the relationship between art, architecture and society, as a transdisciplinary response to the current state of affairs. 

Dr. Cesar Cornejo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Arts is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • art
  • architecture
  • society
  • transdisciplinary
  • trialectics
  • vernacular

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

21 pages, 2664 KiB  
Article
The Emirati Vernacular: Tracing the UAE’s Art History through Architecture as a Reflection of Society
by Eve Grinstead
Arts 2023, 12(4), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12040135 - 30 Jun 2023
Viewed by 2710
Abstract
While past studies have considered the relationship between art and architecture, art and society, or society and architecture, few consider all three, let alone when discussing these subjects in the United Arab Emirates. This article presents the evolution of the art scene in [...] Read more.
While past studies have considered the relationship between art and architecture, art and society, or society and architecture, few consider all three, let alone when discussing these subjects in the United Arab Emirates. This article presents the evolution of the art scene in that country’s three largest emirates, from its foundation as a federation through today, as a reflection of local societal truths. Since its early days, each concerned emirate—Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah, has developed an art scene unique from the others, and each one has been housed in different kinds of mostly vernacular—though sometimes academic—architecture. Through data collection of the various types of architecture employed in each emirate, this article explores possible reasons why each state has its own art scene, and what can explain this phenomenon. Abu Dhabi, the wealthy capital, has “starchitect” designed institutions; the more avant-garde Dubai employs recycled industrial hangars (or structures made to look as such); while the more traditional Sharjah repurposes historical structures for artistic use. Over time, each emirate begins to borrow different architectural tendencies hitherto mostly seen in the other states, demonstrative of the constant competition the three emirates have with each other. Beyond the local implications, these structures provide a rich discussion on what is considered vernacular in a modern context, as well as where the definition of one stops and the other begins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Art, Architecture and Society)
Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2624 KiB  
Article
Empowering Children and Revitalising Architecture through Participatory Art: The What Animal Is It? Project by Iza Rutkowska
by Iwona Szustakiewicz
Arts 2023, 12(3), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/arts12030107 - 25 May 2023
Viewed by 1000
Abstract
This article explores how a holistic combination of three components, society, art, and architecture, can contribute to the successful revitalisation of derelict buildings and, at the same time, improve the well-being of the users of reclaimed spaces. The author uses a case study [...] Read more.
This article explores how a holistic combination of three components, society, art, and architecture, can contribute to the successful revitalisation of derelict buildings and, at the same time, improve the well-being of the users of reclaimed spaces. The author uses a case study of a playground designed by the artist Iza Rutkowska in cooperation with children in a specific location at the Intermediae Matadero centre in Madrid. The centre is located in a revitalised warehouse in the complex of former municipal slaughterhouses, built at the beginning of the 20th century. The analysis of Iza Rutkowska’s work is conducted against the background of broader analyses of the elements of the triad and the conditions required for them to enter into dialogue with each other. Their synergic combination is one of the factors that can have a positive impact on the regeneration of even such alien spaces as former industrial buildings. The users’ creative activities fill space with new meanings and turn it into a place perceived as good. At the same time, the effects go beyond the walls of the redeveloped buildings, positively influencing the well-being of the users and creating social relationships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Relationship between Art, Architecture and Society)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop