Arts & International Affairs: Volume 2, Issue 1 | Page 61

Correlatively, Autopoiesis project represents an attempt to explore alternatives
to the power-driven and institutionally embedded processes of traditional
curation by engaging with the notion of curating as a participatory digital
activity, not only theoretically but also from a practice-based perspective.
The aim of the project has been to test the extent to which digital curation
can offer, potentially at least, “new spaces for autonomous producers and
DIY culture”, as Paul (quoted in Krysa ����:��) suggests, and allow a greater
public engagement with cultural production and curatorial processes.
Underlying the project is also the related issue of ethics, an issue that
remains inextricably linked to processes of curation and cultural production
and representation. In fact and at its very basic etymological level, the very
meaning of the word “curating” goes back to the Latin term “cura”, meaning
“care” and “cure”, which is evocative of the ethical and normative dimension
of the curatorial role (see also Martinon ����). In the context of Autopoiesis,
the ethical aspect of this project lies in its ambition to create a public platform
that is participatory, inclusive and engaging beyond the constraining walls
of official institutions.
In what follows, I shall begin with a more detailed discussion on the
background and objectives of the project followed by an examination of
the ethnographic landscape of the UAE, which represents the backdrop for
Autopoiesis. I will then move on to discuss at some length some aspects,
advantages, and limitations of digitally mediated art platforms, particularly
in relation to issues of public participation and access. In addition, the
article also provides a reflection on the “materiality” of the digital and the
related tensions between the virtual and the physical, which prompt the
need to attend to the local realities and material contexts of digital projects
and platforms.
Autopoiesis
“Autopoiesis”, which literally means the act of “self-creation and selfproduction”,
is an evocative metaphor for what this art project aims to achieve,
that is, to provide people from all walks of life, who are living in or visiting
the UAE, with the opportunity to create and exhibit their own artwork that
is expressive of their diverse identities, cultures, and life experiences in the
region. The project invites the submission of multimedia work from artists
and non-artists, with a focus on personal narrative and perspectives.
The overarching objective of the project is to offer a platform for autonomous
self-expression beyond official institutions and their dominant “branding”
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