Od sztuki site-specific po sztukę partycypacyjną. Sztuka zaangażowana – wybrane współczesne teorie i praktyki artystyczne

Site-specific art has been changing through the years. Firstly, it was connected with its location and directly corresponding with a given site, then critically reconfiguring it. Later it became art that served aesthetic processes in the site, and finally, art that defined the site in a very abstract way (which marked the beginnings of public and community art). Among different paradigms of artistic practices, the latter may take the form of participatory art. Miwon Kwon, Grant Kester and Claire Bishop are considered to be its key theorists. Changes within site-specific practices and their aspiration for a meaningful social context have helped to (re)define the categories of public space, community, and participation. The last of the three has become globally common for artistic practices, without regard for cultural differences, varied political contexts, or issues of funding of this genre of art. Why participatory art is so popular? What kind of impact does it have on the socio-cultural reality? The paper provides an overview of the changes that have taken place within site-specific artistic practices, showing that even a provisionary answer to the above questions cannot be found without an interdisciplinary approach.