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Questions of Practice: Visual Artist Jeanne van Heeswijk on Collective Authorship

Dutch visual artist Jeanne van Heeswijk spoke with us about the connection between autonomy and authorship in the context of her work, which creates interactions in public spaces and explores social issues. “It’s very important to let go of your subject position in order to meet the other and to create something…but of course you have to have a position to start with, and be able to let go,” she says. “It’s a collective exercise that we all have to do.”

With Center support, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is collaborating with van Heeswijk and a group of local artists and community members to present Philadelphia Assembled, an expansive project that combines art, performance, and civic engagement to reflect on Philadelphia’s urban fabric. Learn more on the project website.>>

Jeanne van Heeswijk is a visual artist whose work centers on the complex relationship between public space and urban renewal. Her work has been featured in publications and exhibitions worldwide, including the Liverpool, Shanghai, and Venice biennials. She is the recipient of the Curry Stone Prize for Social Design Pioneers, and the inaugural Keith Haring Fellowship in Art and Activism at Bard College.