Artists-led organizations: Agency-lab and the era of dissolution

Workshop on Artists-led Organizations; Agency-lab and The Era Of Dissolution offering artists a platform for exploring how working as part of an organization vs. as an individual artist can open up new opportunities, venues and connections. As part of this workshop Michelle Atherton and TC McCormack discussed their instigation and involvement with Agency- lab, the artist-led research organisation based in the Art and Design Research Centre at Sheffield Arts Institute, Sheffield Hallam University. Agency-lab purpose is to enable artist’s to connect with institutions, individuals and processes. It host interactions across different locations and sites to offer a reflective and open platform for equal exchange and the generation of research projects and artworks. A key proponent of the discussion was the importance of creating and maintaining a space to be speculative and less quantifiable. One of the research projects The Era of Dissolution co-devised by McCormack & Atherton through the Agency-lab was used a case study in the workshop. The project features art production and curating concepts of cultural phenomena and historical syncopation. The research investigates and asks what is the visual language of our times? The research project is evolving over a series of international exhibitions and an accompanying publication. The Transcultural Exchange International Exchange 2016 conference provided options for artists to embrace different cultures, mindsets and technologies. Panellists spoke about their international residency programs, providing practical advice, discussing how art can play a vital role in social interventions and promote ways for artists to collaborate with those in other disciplines, including medicine, architecture, conservation and engineering. The workshops and round table discussions gave artists with similar interests the chance to meet, network and talk about their work; and the portfolio reviews with the speakers, gallery owners and critics supplied additional venues for artists to showcase their work.