BEING is an interdisciplinary event that brings together artists, scholars, scientists and members of local communities. Its central theme is to demonstrate WHY and HOW the arts and creativity can be used to innovate and give rise to new ideas and projects beyond cultural or social boundaries.The event consists of an exhibition, a conference and a workshop.

The arts and cultures mirror the paths of humanity. They are tools of transmission, reflection, communication and learning. They nourish our imagination and help us understand who we are and what we can become. As creative endeavours, they contribute new ways of seeing and practice in other scientific and social disciplines. Creativity helps develop critical thinking and new expressions, providing a basis to rethink the human condition.

BEING explores some of the most urgent issues facing our societies today through the arts and the humanities. It seeks to raise awareness and inspire audiences to take local and global action that fosters positive, inclusive and sustainable change.

Mémoire de l’Avenir has over 20 years of experience in organizing exhibitions, conferences and workshops on subjects relating to arts and society that we bring to the Humanities, Arts and Society project. Our methods are inclusive and anchored in the arts and humanities. We consider ethics and aesthetics as intricately linked.

Detailed information 

Multidisciplinary Exhibition

The exhibition BEING is based on videos and works by the international artists in the Humanities, Arts and Society project. It brings together contemporary artists, established or emerging from different disciplines, whose works demonstrate original and interdisciplinary means to enter a journey of inquiries related to human beings and the planet. The exhibition also includes a presentation of HOW the arts can contribute to positive social change, adapted from the Humanities, Arts and Society presentation at the symposium.

The selection of works is developed in collaboration between the HAS team and the organizing institution with possibilities to showcase local artists and focus on specific issues. Themes include: identity, culture, language, migration, environment, ecology, equality, and gender.

Symposium

The symposium WHY discusses how the arts and the humanities can contribute to positive and inclusive social change in fields such as education, peace building, human rights and gender issues, coexistence and environmental challenges. It is a set of open conferences whose aim is to open debates on global issues and encourage collaboration between artists, scientists, scholars and local project leaders. The symposium opens with a two-hour presentation by Humanities, Arts and Society.

Participants will include scholars, artists and other actors from the local community. The audience is students, cultural workers and anyone interested in the themes mentioned above.

Workshop

The workshop further examines HOW the arts and the humanities can be used to tackle various social issues. The aim is to share knowledge, methods and tools on how to implement projects using the arts and to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations.

The workshop is conducted by the HAS team with artists, scholars, project leaders and the local community that wish to develop their work in different fields with the arts and creativity. It can be organized between one and three days.

Themes include: the role of artists and arts in society; how the arts and creativity can help solve social issues; why and how to get involved; and how to establish interdisciplinary collaborations with different actors.

Practical information

BEING is organized by Humanities, Arts and Society – managed by Mémoire de l’Avenir and its partner organizations UNESCO-MOST, the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences, and Global Chinese Arts & Culture Society.

The event can be organized at cultural centres and institutions, universities, diplomatic organizations, local community centres.

The exhibition, symposium and workshop can all be organized on the same premises or in different places in the location.

The duration of the exhibition is flexible but 2-3 months is recommended. The symposium can be held over two days and the workshop over 3 days. These should be organized at the same time as the exhibition. Other related events can be developed in collaboration with the Humanities, Arts and Society.