Introduction : what is the art of engagement?

The 'art of engagement' in the title of this book has a double meaning. On the one hand, it denotes artistic work that, through its association with non art organisations, engages with social communities beyond the world of art. This kind of art aligns with a strong trend in the international contemporary art world, where artists discard their posture of detachment in favour of deep immersion in the social worlds they find themselves in as the motivation for their artistic production. Art critics and theorists have described this trend using various terms ranging from 'relational aesthetics' to 'from studio to situation'. On the other hand, we wish to articulate that there is an art to the act of engagement as such. What does engagement involve? With whom does one engage? For what purpose and with what outcomes? Such questions point to the conundrum associated with the process of engagement, and highlight the fact that this process requires skill, vision and commitment. The 'art of engagement' is not easy. This double meaning of 'art of engagement' provides a succinct description of what this book is about. Through a focus on the special case of C3West, a collaborative contemporary art initiative in Western Sydney, Australia, we examine the ways in which contemporary visual artists can create art through an engagement with businesses and their communities, however defined. At the same time, our particular emphasis will be a scrutiny of the engagement process itself: its multifaceted complexities and the different ways it is conducted, negotiated and experienced. For 'engagement' is never a one-way street it always entails the participation and reaction of multiple partners who come to the party from their own, often divergent perspectives.